Anonymous hackers claim attack on Russia’s space agency but Roscosmos chief calls them ‘fraudsters and swindlers’

‘We won’t stop until you stop dropping bombs, killing civilians, and trying to invade. Go the f*** back to Russia’, the hacking group NB65 wrote

(SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

A hacking group associated with the collective Anonymous has claimed that it has breached Russia’s space agency.

Network Battalion 65 or ‘NB65’, as the gang is known, posted a tweet claiming to show server information for Roscosmos, claiming that Russia “has no more control over their own Spy-Satelites.”

It was claimed that the hackers downloaded and deleted confidential files related to the space agency’s satellite imaging and Vehicle Monitoring System.

“The WS02 was deleted, credentials were rotated, and the server is shut down”, the hackers tweeted.

“We won’t stop until you stop dropping bombs, killing civilians, and trying to invade. Go the fuck back to Russia.”

The Independent has not yet been able to verify these claims and the head of the Russian space agency has said that operations are continuing as normal.

"The information published by these fraudsters and pretty swindlers is false. All our space control centers operate as usual," Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin tweeted.

However, Russia has been consistently engaged in a misinformation and disinformation campaign assisted by state media – one that has resulted in restrictions being levied on them by technology giants and investigations from the UK’s broadcasting watchdog Ofcom.

Neither Roscosmos nor NB65 responded to The Independent’s request for comment before time of publication.

Mr Rogozin has said previously that control of the Russian space industry, orbital group and the Russian International Space Station segment are thoroughly protected and isolated from cyber criminals, but threatened that sanctions placed against Russia could have a damaging effect on the ISS.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk, in response to the comment, said his company would step in to assist the station.

Nasa has said it would “make every effort to continue as before … [despite] disagreements between our countries” but did not respond to The Independent’s request for more information about their relationship with their Russian counterpart.