Several Russian radio stations, victims of a “cyberattack”, broadcast on Monday a false speech by President Vladimir Putin denouncing a Ukrainian “invasion” and announcing the establishment of martial law in the border regions with Ukraine, Russian authorities reported. A speech according to which “Ukrainian forces, armed to the teeth (…) and supported by Washington invaded the Kursk, Belgorod and Briansk regions” was broadcast on Monday on the waves of several radio stations in those bordering territories with Ukraine, local authorities said.
The message, attributed to Putin and taken up on social networks, also announced the establishment of martial law in these regions, the upcoming signing of a presidential decree on general mobilization in Russia, and called on the inhabitants to evacuate.
“It was indeed a cyberattack. We are aware of it,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told Russian news agencies, assuring that the radio stations in question had retaken control of the frequencies.
“The information about the invasion of the Ukrainian forces in the Belgorod region, the establishment of martial law, general mobilization and evacuation (…) is false,” the Belgorod region authorities said.
“The objective of this message is to sow panic among the inhabitants,” said the crisis unit installed by the authorities on Telegram, calling to “remain calm” and trust only “reliable” sources of information.
In the Voronezh region, also on the border with Ukraine and from which some radios were also interfered with, the authorities assured the inhabitants that there was “no reason to worry.”
“The situation in the region is under the control of the authorities and law enforcement,” they said on Telegram.
MIR, one of the affected radios, lost control of its frequencies for about 40 minutes. He described as “false” and “provocation” everything disseminated during that period.
For two weeks the Russian region of Belgorod, bordering Ukraine, has been the scene of attacks, shelling and fighting between the Russian army and pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters. A similar event had occurred in February: false anti-aircraft alerts were broadcast by various Russian radio and television stations, victims of a cyberattack.
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