Ukrainian hackers disrupt Siberian internet provider on Russia Day
- Ukrainian intelligence agency HUR launched a cyberattack on the Orion Telecom internet provider on June 12, 2025.
- The attack left key Siberian cities without internet and television services, sparking complaints among residents.
- This operation showcases the ongoing cyber conflict between Ukraine and Russia amid escalating military tensions.
On June 12, 2025, Ukrainian hackers from the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) successfully conducted a cyberattack against Orion Telecom, one of the largest internet providers in Russian Siberia. The attack was executed on Russia Day, which is a significant national holiday, thereby amplifying its symbolic impact. Reports indicate that the hackers, with the assistance of cyber activists, managed to paralyze Orion Telecom’s operations, which were crucially relied upon by various Russian security forces for their actions against Ukraine. Following the cyberattack, a closed city dedicated to uranium extraction lost connectivity as Orion Telecom was its sole internet provider. This outage triggered widespread complaints on local social media platforms from residents in Siberian cities such as Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Bratsk, and Abakan. The company confirmed that it was experiencing technical difficulties as a result of a significant Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, assuring customers that internet access would be restored by the end of the day. Additionally, a letter circulating on local Telegram channels, allegedly sent by HUR, taunted Russian users by suggesting they would soon be living in a primitive state, with a sign-off of 'Glory to Ukraine!' This incident marks a continuation of HUR's focused cyber operations against Russian entities involved in the war, previously including a cyberattack on Gazpromstroy earlier this year, highlighting the ongoing conflict's escalation in both physical and cyber realms.