Dozens of flights operated by Russia's national airline, Aeroflot, were grounded on Monday following a cyberattack for which Ukrainian and Belarusian hacker groups have claimed responsibility. This marks the first time a cyberattack has caused such significant flight disruptions in Russia since the Ukraine conflict began.

Russia's state prosecutor's office has launched a criminal investigation, confirming a "hacking attack" disrupted flights at Sheremetyevo airport, Aeroflot's main hub. Aeroflot itself only referred to a "breakdown in the IT system," reporting at least 64 flights grounded on Monday and 14 more canceled for Tuesday.

The Ukrainian group Silent Crow and Belarusian group Cyber Partisans jointly claimed responsibility, stating they achieved "complete compromise and destruction of the internal IT infrastructure of Aeroflot." Cyber Partisans attributed the attack to lax security, claiming Aeroflot's CEO had not changed his password since 2022 and that the airline used outdated software like Windows XP and 2003. The hackers also hinted at publishing the personal data of Aeroflot passengers.

The Kremlin expressed alarm over the incident, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating they would "clarify the information and wait for an appropriate explanation." While Aeroflot stated efforts are underway to restore normal operations, the incident highlights ongoing cyber warfare, with Ukraine and its allies frequently accusing Russia of state-backed cyberattacks.