Lithuania hit by potential Russian cyberattacks

Computer hackers reportedly linked to the Russian state have attacked dozens of Lithuanian government and private organisations.

According to a report by the New York Times, the attack came just days after Moscow threatened retaliation against Lithuania for placing restrictions on cargo traffic to the isolated Russian territory of Kalingrad.

Lithuania insists it has not imposed a cargo ban and instead accuses Russia of lying. The country said it has restricted just 1% of the goods that pass by rail through Lithuanian territory in response to European Union sanctions over Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to Security Week, the country has faced a denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which is designed to overwhelm the target with a flood of internet traffic, preventing the system from functioning normally.

The Russian hackers’ group Killnet claimed responsibility for the cyberattack.

Since then, Lithuanian officials said the most important attacks had been brought under control.

A defence ministry statement on Twitter said that similar attacks are likely to continue in the coming days, especially in the transport, energy and financial sectors.

A Russian official recently stated a ‘direct military clash’ could occur if Western governments continue to mount cyberattacks against its infrastructure. This announcement followed the hacking of Russia’s housing ministry website with traffic to it redirecting to a sign saying ‘Glory to Ukraine’.

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