Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
“For the next few months, the system (which holds 30 million records) will not be able to send people off to kill or die.”
A claim of a cyberattack on Russia’s military bureaucracy has surfaced amid continued efforts to modernize conscription during wartime.
Grigory Sverdlin, founder and head of the draft-resistance group Idite Lesom (“Get lost”, red.), said anonymous hackers penetrated a company involved in developing Russia’s digital draft infrastructure.
Writing on Facebook on Thursday, he said the breach targeted Micord, a Russian software firm.
“For the next few months, the system (which holds 30 million records) will not be able to send people off to kill or die,” Sverdlin wrote.
Officials deny any disruption, while independent groups argue the fallout may take months to assess.
According to Sverdlin, Idite Lesom received internal materials from the hackers, including source code, technical files and company communications linked to Micord’s work.
Article continues below.
Click to display external content from iFrames except google ads,
- You can always enable and disable third-party content.
You agree to display external third-party content. Personal data may be sent to the provider of the content and other third-party services.
Official response
Micord’s website displayed a notice stating it was under “technical maintenance” when accessed on Thursday.
Russia’s Defense Ministry dismissed reports of a breach, calling them “fake news.” In a statement, it said the registry continued to function normally.
“The registry has been repeatedly subjected to hacking attacks. They have all been successfully repelled,” the ministry said, adding that attempts to interfere had “failed to achieve their objectives.”
Why it matters
The digital registry is meant to replace Russia’s paper-based draft system, allowing authorities to issue summonses electronically to men aged 18 to 30.
Once fully active, the system can automatically impose restrictions, including travel bans, on those who ignore draft notices. Its rollout has faced delays since its planned launch in November 2024.
President Vladimir Putin ordered the registry’s creation in 2022 after a mobilization of about 300,000 reservists exposed recruitment failures and triggered an exodus from Russia.
Sources: The Moscow Times, Idete Lisom, Grigory Sverdlin/Facebook, IStories
