July 16, 2025

International authorities have dealt a severe blow to the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16). Hundreds of servers were shut down in a coordinated operation – the suspected perpetrators are also being investigated in Germany.

In an internationally coordinated operation, law enforcement agencies from numerous countries, including Germany, took action against the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16), which is believed to be responsible for numerous cyberattacks. A network consisting of several hundred servers distributed worldwide was shut down, the Federal Criminal Police Office announced in Wiesbaden on Wednesday. Several arrest warrants have been issued, and an international search for the suspects is underway. The Federal Minister of the InteriorAlexander Dobrindt( CSU ) praised the action.

The cybercriminals are said to have launched numerous so-called DDoS attacks. These attacks involve sending a large number of data packets over the internet to disrupt other data processing systems. Websites and online services are then no longer accessible. Since the investigation began in November 2023, Germany has been the target of a total of 14 waves of attacks, some of which lasted for days, the BKA stated.

Attacks against 250 companies and institutions

These affected a total of approximately 250 companies and institutions, including defense companies, power suppliers, transport companies, public institutions, and government agencies. Similar attacks have also been committed against infrastructure in other countries, for example, during the European elections or, most recently, during the NATO summit in the Netherlands.

According to the BKA, the main goal of the attacks on German targets was to gain media attention and thereby influence political or social decisions in Germany. The group intended to permanently disrupt or influence the overall social and political structure of the Federal Republic, investigators explained.

According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, around 4,000 supporters have been recruited via the messaging service Telegram since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. They were offered the download of special software that allowed them to participate in DDoS attacks using their own resources. The group also built its own botnet consisting of several hundred servers.

Objects also searched in Germany

The six people for whom arrest warrants have been issued are reportedly Russian citizens or residents of Russia. Two of them are believed to be the main perpetrators. In addition, another arrest warrant has been issued by the Spanish authorities.

According to investigators, a total of 24 properties belonging to suspected supporters of the group were searched on Tuesday, including one in Berlin and two in Bavaria. In addition, more than 1,000 suspected supporters of the group were informed via Telegram that such actions are punishable under German law.

Dobrindt spoke of a “successful strike against a hacker network” that had carried out multiple cyberattacks in Germany in the past. “The operation was embedded in close cooperation with other countries and was highly successful,” he explained in Berlin. (afp/edited by skr)

https://web.de/magazine/panorama/schwerer-schlag-prorussische-hackergruppe-41186506