Ukrainian cyber soldiers on Sunday successfully infiltrated Russian television broadcasts in Crimea, playing a cryptic video suggesting the imminence of Kyiv's retaliatory operations.
According to several Ukrainian news sources, hackers interrupted transmissions of the Russian cable channels “Rossiya” and “Friday.” The disruptions showcased a video from Ukraine's Defense Ministry, featuring an intense close-up of their heavily armed troops, making a silent gesture.
The mysterious footage was overlaid with a message in Ukrainian, stating: “Plans like silence. There will be no announcement that ‘it’s starting.'" This enigmatic video sequence concluded with a scene of two fighter jets – a likely symbol of Ukraine's quest to procure military aircraft from its Western allies – followed by an off-screen male voice whispering, “shhh.”
Suspilne, the public broadcaster of Ukraine, confirmed the cyber intrusion based on information from a Simferopol inhabitant in Crimea, reported by the Ukrainian news source, Ukrainska Pravda.
Oleg Kryuchkov, an advisor to the Kremlin-appointed leader of Crimea, acknowledged the hack on Sunday, announcing, “The broadcasts of several Crimean cable operators have been hacked. The signal is being cut. Broadcast television — all multiplexes — are working as usual.”
Ukrainian cyber warriors have a history of digital incursions into Crimea since the conflict's inception.
In a memorable instance from February, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion, two Crimean radio stations were hacked to play Ukraine’s national anthem, followed by a stern message from Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine's defense intelligence.
Budanov's broadcasted promise echoed, “We are going to find every traitor to Ukraine, wherever they might be. All of them will be destroyed… We’re coming to you. Glory to Ukraine!”
In April 2022, another hacking event disrupted the broadcast of Russia's Channel One in Crimea, airing a potent message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
Zelensky cautioned Russian officials in the recording, saying, “Let each of the Russian officials who seized precious land in Crimea remember that this is not a land where they will have peace.”
Throughout the protracted 15-month conflict, Zelensky has consistently vowed to reclaim control of Crimea, which Vladimir Putin forcibly annexed in 2014.
Russian forces in Ukraine are currently on high alert for the onset of Ukraine’s eagerly anticipated counteroffensive, which has been in preparation for months.
Claims from Russia's Defense Ministry about repelling a large-scale Ukrainian assault in the disputed Donetsk region in the east remain unverified, with Ukrainian officials yet to confirm the attack. Independent verification of these claims has not been possible.