Russia reports ‘powerful’ cyberattacks on second day of parliamentary vote
This is Russia's first election since it invaded Ukraine, and is expected to gauge public support for the ongoing war.
Russian authorities have reported attacks on the country’s voting systems and communication lines on the second day of a tightly controlled three-day-long parliamentary election.
Moscow’s electronic voting system was subjected to a powerful cyberattack overnight between Friday and Saturday, and the attack has continued, Interfax news agency reported.
“The Moscow system was under a very powerful attack, literally non-stop, all night long,” Ella Pamfilova, head of the Russian Central Election Commission, told reporters on Saturday morning. “This attack is ongoing almost constantly, and it’s very large-scale and intense, meaning it’s currently targeting Moscow.”
Most antiwar candidates were excluded from the ballot before voting across Russia’s 11 time zones got under way, after the Supreme Court ruled last month that the liberal Yabloko party – which wants a ceasefire in Ukraine – had breached electoral rules, which it has denied.