Hackers attack Lithuania over Kaliningrad sanctions

Lithuanian state and private websites were targeted by Russian hackers who claimed the attack was retaliation for Vilnius’ decision to cease the transit of some goods under European Union sanctions to Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.

Lithuania’s tax authority said it had halted all activities because of an unusually large number of attempts to connect to its systems, although all data was safe.

“The main targets are state institutions, transport institutions, media websites,” deputy defence minister Margiris Abukevicius said, in another sign of deteriorating relations between the Baltic country and Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine in February.

Russian hacker group Killnet claimed responsibility for what is known as a distributed denial of service (DDoS).

“The attack will continue until Lithuania lifts the blockade,” a Killnet spokesman said.

“We have demolished 1,652 web resources. And that’s just so far.”

Kaliningrad is sandwiched between EU and Nato members Poland and Lithuania and supplied by rail via Lithuanian territory.

Lithuania had begun to see signs of an attack as early as June 21, Abukevicius said.

Last Wednesday, a Russian Security Council spokesman promised retaliation over the blocked shipments, stating that these would have “a serious negative impact on the population of Lithuania”.

“It is very likely that attacks of similar or greater intensity will continue in the coming days, especially in the transportation, energy and financial sectors,” Lithuania’s National Cyber Security Centre said in a statement.

The main targets are state institutions, transport institutions, media websites

MARGIRIS ABUKEVICIUS, LITHUANIAN DEPUTY DEFENCE MINISTER

The secure network used by state institutions was also among those affected, the centre said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said Lithuania “only applies the European Union sanctions” in ceasing transport of certain goods to Kaliningrad, and has not taken any unilateral decisions.