Pro-Russian Hackers Forge New Alliances for High-Profile Cyberattacks

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which intensified in 2022, continues to reshape the cybercrime landscape in 2025, with hacktivism emerging as a potent weapon in geopolitical disputes.

Since the war’s outbreak, pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian hacktivist groups have waged a parallel battle in cyberspace, employing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, website defacements, and data breaches to influence the conflict.

The evolving geopolitical climate, particularly the uncertainty over U.S. military support for Ukraine following President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, has further fueled these cyber campaigns.

Escalating Hacktivism Amid Geopolitical Tensions

European nations, responding to fears of reduced U.S. involvement, have ramped up defense spending and aid to Ukraine, prompting a surge in retaliatory cyberattacks from pro-Russian groups.

Notably, after Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys criticized Russian tactics in May 2025, groups like NoName057(16), Dark Storm Team, and ServerKillers launched #OpLithuania, targeting Lithuanian government and financial sectors ...