A major Russian radio station was hacked and started playing out anti-war songs and the Ukrainian national anthem on Wednesday (June 7).
Listeners of Kommersant FM were in for a shock when the lunchtime news bulletin was interrupted by the subtle tones of the Ukrainian military anthem, Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow, according to BBC reporter Francis Scarr.
Other songs played out to the Russian public included the Ukrainian national anthem as well as I Don’t Need A War by Russian rock band Nogu Svelo.
Radio station editor-in-chief Alexey Vorboyov confirmed the hack of the online stream to state-run agency Tass, via Telegram.
The translation reads: “We really got hacked. Technicians are now investigating the origin of this attack, trying to do something with the Internet stream.
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“The broadcasting of the radio station has not changed, it goes on. As for the Internet stream, it looks like it has been hacked.”
YouTube channel The Insider managed to capture a clip of the Ukrainian anthem being played out on the stream, which you can hear below.
The news arrives after a series of cyber attacks on Kremlin media designed to expose the truth about the war on Ukraine.
That includes Putin’s speech at Moscow's Red Square last month, when hackers took advantage of the nationwide attention to tell the Russian public what the military had really been up to during their 'special operation'.
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Numerous TV channels were subjected to the attack, which saw the name of every show changed to: "The blood of thousands of Ukrainians and hundreds of their children is on your hands. TV and the authorities lie. No to war."
And back in February, just days after the conflict began, major Russian sites including the aforementioned TASS and Kommersant were intercepted to promote anti-war messages, including the statement that Putin had started the invasion to 'get into the history books'.
As for Kommersant FM, it’s owned by the fifth richest person in Russia, Alisher Usmanov who was sanctioned by the US and EU following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to Business Insider, Usmanov is described by the EU as ‘one of Vladimir Putin’s favourite oligarchs’ and he has allowed many of the Kremlin members to use his vacation homes.
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Usmanov’s 512-foot superyacht was seized by German authorities in April.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information.
Jayden Collins