Anonymous claims it hacked Russian space agency, disabled spy satellites

The hacking collective Anonymous claimed on Tuesday that it hacked Roscosmos, the Russian federal space agency, an allegation the organization has denied.

Network Battalion 65’, a hacking group affiliated with Anonymous, shared screenshots purporting to be server information for Roscosmos.

“The Russian Space Agency sure does love their satellite imaging,” NB65 wrote in an ominous statement. “Better yet they sure to do love their Vehicle Monitoring System.”

We won't stop until you stop. pic.twitter.com/Cy1kiAN0bc

— NB65 (@xxNB65) March 1, 2022

NB65 went on the claim that it had sabotaged Roscosmos’ servers by deleting its WS02, which manages logins, and rotating credentials.

Later that day, YourAnonTV, a Twitter account that follows Anonymous, reshared the screenshots and announced that NB65 had “shut down the control center” of the space agency and that the country “has no more control of its own satellites."

JUST IN: Hacking group 'NB65', affiliated with #Anonymous has shut down the Control Center of the Russian Space Agency 'Roscosmos'. #Russia has no more control over their own Spy-Satelites. #OpRussia#OpKremlin #FreeUkraine #FckPutin pic.twitter.com/1iZBDN48rw

— Anonymous TV 🇺🇦 (@YourAnonTV) March 1, 2022

Roscosmos denied any attack had taken place.

“The information of these scammers and petty swindlers is not true,” Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Roscosmos, wrote on Twitter. “All our space activity control centers are operating normally.”

The information of these scammers and petty swindlers is not true. All our space activity control centers are operating normally. https://t.co/MY0qzlLqCI

— РОГОЗИН (@Rogozin) March 2, 2022

Rogozin also threatened retaliation, saying any hacking of its satellites would be a justification for war.

"Offlining the satellites of any country is actually a casus belli, a cause for war," he said, reported Reuters, citing a Russian news source.

The role of Russia’s spy satellites in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine remains unknown. U.S. intelligence officials warned that satellites of all kinds could be targets of the Russian military, such as ones that provide GPS services.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk activated his Starlink satellite network to provide broadband to Ukraine in the event internet is knocked offline by Russian attacks.