Anonymous, the online group of hackers, has claimed that they successfully infiltrated Russian state TV to show citizens the true devastation of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The group shared footage of the deed on Twitter which shows a TV streaming the devastation in Ukraine as the war entered its 12th day.
The lower chamber of Russia’s parliament recently approved a new “fake news” law that threatens those who publish what the government defines as false information about the war.
People found guilty face a fine of around $14,000 or a prison sentence of up to 15 years, according to The Independent.
The footage was shared on pro-Kremlin channels and showed the aftermath of missile attacks that have already taken way too many innocent civilian lives.
At the end of the video, a written message said that the war was waged by Putin’s authoritarian regime and not ordinary citizens. This alleged hack was intended to keep the Russian people aware of what’s really going on in the global community as the government has stepped up censorship and blocked access to foreign news outlets and Facebook.
Initially, the video was shown on Russia 24, Moscow 24, Channel One, Wink, and Ivi. However, according to Anonymous’ Twitter account, all Russian-state TV channels have been hacked.
Russian airwaves have also been reportedly hacked by the group to play audio of the Ukrainian national anthem. Anonymous also reported on its Twitter that activists were broadcasting troll faces on Russian military radio.
When the Ukraine invasion began, the hackers claimed to be in a Cyberwar against the Russian government, and on February 26, they took down the Kremlin’s official website.
Earlier this week, the hackers group reported that this is the biggest Anonymous operation ever seen and has raised concerns about being seen as a threat by some government, stating they only want peace.