Russian hackers attack Europe for the Motherland in crypto fueled Great Patriotic Cyber War

Date:
Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:45:00 +0000

Description:
NoName057(16) launched "Patriotic Online Games", calling all hackers to participate and get paid in crypto.

FULL STORY
NoName057(16), a pro-Russian hacker group known for DDoS attacks against Western organizations, launched a hacking initiative to get as many cybercriminals engaged in attacks against organizations in Europe.

According to Cybersecurity Insiders, the group took to Telegram to call upon patriotic volunteers which would then be given specific assignments, ranging from DDoS attacks, across information-gathering missions, to ransomware. The organizers call the campaign Patriotic Online Games, likely to draw a larger crowd and hide the fact that this is essentially a criminal enterprise. The targets are, first and foremost, located in European countries that voiced their support to Ukraine in its war against Russia. They include government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure organizations. Those who successfully pull off their task get paid in cryptocurrency, allegedly being paid out directly into their wallets.

Who are NoName057(16)? NoName057(16) is a very active
threat actor, seen running highly disruptive DDoS attacks, hits against Taiwanese critical infrastructure firms, and observed striking Italian airports.

A few months ago, the Italian government claimed it successfully thwarted a series of cyberattacks targeting the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. At the time, foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the attack hit facilities connected to the 2026 Winter Games, including hotels in the Alpine resort of Cortina dAmpezzo where athletes were staying.

The wide-ranging attack reportedly hit around 120 targets, including foreign ministry offices in the US, as well as consulates in Sydney, Toronto and Paris, and La Sapienza university in Rome was also hit in a seemingly
separate attack also attributed to Russian-linked hackers.

On Telegram, NoName057(16) confirmed the victims were targeted because of Italys support for Ukraine: The Italian governments pro-Ukrainian policy
means that support for Ukrainian terrorists is punished with our DDoS
attacks, the group said on Telegram.

Russia generally dismisses all such claims as Russophobia or politically motivated, unsubstantiated assessments.

Via Cybersecurity Insiders

Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/russian-hackers-attack-europe-for-the-m otherland-in-crypto-fueled-great-patriotic-cyber-war

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* Origin: Capitol City Hub (1:2320/105)