Kathrine Frich
A social media profile serves as a vital tool for any prominent political leader.
Losing control of a verified account creates instant public panic. That exact nightmare just played out for a high-ranking official in one of the world’s most heavily guarded cities.
A digital takeover
The mayor of the Russian capital suddenly lost control of his personal blog. Sergei Sobyanin operates a popular Telegram channel to share daily updates with the general public.
According to the Spanish news outlet 20minutos and the EFE agency, unknown hackers managed to infiltrate the account late last night. The attackers quickly flooded the page with hostile messages aimed directly at the government.
The sudden infiltration specifically targeted his personal profile, which currently boasts about 40,000 followers. His main official channel remained totally safe from the intruders. That larger account holds 358,000 subscribers and serves as his primary broadcast tool.
Burning the capital
The attackers did not try to hide their political motives. They posted a chilling threat over and over again, making sure everyone saw it.
The aggressive phrase “Moscow will burn” appeared at least a dozen times on the page. A Ukrainian flag accompanied these repeated warnings, leaving no doubt about who was claiming responsibility for the cyber attack.
The hackers also used the platform to raise money for the Ukrainian military. At exactly 9:29 p.m. local time, they posted links directing users to an organization called the Siplnota Sternenko Foundation.
These digital links were specifically designed to gather funds to buy combat drones for the army in Kyiv. Authorities rushed to fix the problem, successfully deleting the posts shortly after the security breach occurred.
Banned but popular
The embarrassing incident highlights a strange contradiction in Russian digital life. The social media platform at the center of the hack is technically outlawed inside the country.
The Kremlin officially blocked Telegram earlier this year. The national government justified the sudden ban by claiming it was absolutely necessary “for security reasons”, according to EFE.
Despite the official prohibition, everyday citizens largely ignore the strict digital rule. Even high-ranking government officials continue to rely on the app as their primary tool for daily online communication. The encrypted service remains a total staple of modern Russian life.
Sources: EFE, 20minutos
