Russian hackers temporarily took control of a dam in Norway earlier this year. The first official case in which Oslo directly attributes a cyberattack to its neighbor. This was reported by the head of the Norwegian counterintelligence service, Reuters reports, quoted by News.bg.
The incident occurred on April 7 at the dam in Bremanger, western Norway. The hackers opened a floodgate, releasing 500 liters of water per second for four hours before the attack was detected and stopped. According to official data, no one was injured.
„Over the past year, we have observed a change in the activity of pro-Russian hackers. The aim of this type of operation is to instill fear and chaos among the population. "Our Russian neighbor is becoming more and more dangerous," said Beate Gangaas, head of Norway's security service PST.
The Russian ambassador in Oslo described the allegations as "unfounded and politically motivated" and accused the PST of trying to create a "mythical threat" to the country's infrastructure.
Gangaas said the decision to publicly attribute the attack to Russia was intended to warn the population and prevent future sabotage attempts. "I want Norwegians to be prepared," she added.
Norway, a NATO member, borders Russia in the Arctic and is among Europe's leading suppliers of gas, transported mainly through a network of pipelines under the North Sea. The country, like other Nordic countries, has been actively supporting Ukraine.