Aeroflot Cancels Dozens of Flights After Pro-Ukraine Hackers Claim Major Cyberattack

Russia’s state-owned airline, Aeroflot, was forced to cancel over 40 flights on Monday following a severe information systems failure that has been linked to a cyberattack. The disruption caused widespread chaos at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, with electronic departure boards flooded with cancellations and stranded passengers facing uncertainty.

While Aeroflot initially cited a “failure of information systems,” Russian authorities later confirmed the incident was the result of unauthorized access. The Prosecutor General’s Office has launched a criminal probe into the attack, and the Kremlin has acknowledged the breach as a “serious concern,” highlighting growing threats from cyber warfare.

A pro-Ukraine hacker collective known as Silent Crow, working alongside the Belarusian group Cyberpartisans BY, claimed responsibility for the attack. The hackers alleged they had infiltrated Aeroflot’s internal networks, destroyed approximately 7,000 servers, and gained access to sensitive information from company executives’ computers. They further threatened to leak personal data of all passengers who have ever flown with Aeroflot.

The cyberattack marks one of the most disruptive digital strikes against Russia’s civil aviation sector since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Although Aeroflot has not confirmed the extent of the damage, the airline’s call centres and digital services remained largely unresponsive throughout the day.

Passengers took to social media to express frustration over poor communication and lack of assistance at airports. Aeroflot has advised affected travelers to retrieve their luggage and either rebook or request refunds via call centres once systems are restored.

As investigations continue, cybersecurity analysts warn this incident may signal an escalation in cyber operations targeting critical Russian infrastructure, particularly state-linked institutions. The attack underscores vulnerabilities in the country’s digital defences amid increasing geopolitical tensions and the intensifying cyber battlefield linked to the ongoing war.