Pro-Russian Hacker Group Dismantled in Major European Operation
In a coordinated international effort, law enforcement agencies across Europe and North America have disrupted the notorious pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16), responsible for dozens of cyberattacks on Ukraine and its allies.
Europol and Eurojust announced on Wednesday that Operation Eastwood, carried out between July 14 and 17, targeted the group’s infrastructure and key members, The Gaze reports.
Authorities from 12 countries, including Germany, France, Spain, the United States, and Ukraine, took simultaneous action. Over 100 servers used by the group were disabled, and major parts of its core infrastructure were taken offline.
Germany issued six arrest warrants for Russian nationals, including two believed to be the group’s masterminds. In total, seven warrants have been issued, and suspects have been added to international wanted lists, with five profiles published on the EU’s Most Wanted website.
Two individuals were arrested in France and Spain, while 24 house searches took place across Europe. Thirteen people were questioned, and over 1,000 individuals affiliated with the group—many of them Russian-speaking volunteers—received official warnings through messaging platforms.
These actors, motivated by ideology and financial incentives, relied on simplified tools to carry out DDoS attacks against Ukraine and countries supporting it in the war against Russia.
Investigations revealed that NoName057(16) used a gamified recruitment model, distributing cryptocurrency payments and ranking participants to encourage engagement. They spread propaganda and instructions through Telegram and similar platforms, often recruiting via hacker forums and online gaming communities.
The group was behind high-profile attacks on Swedish and German institutions, Swiss parliamentary events, and the recent NATO summit in the Netherlands. Although the attacks caused disruptions, authorities managed to mitigate them without major damage.
Europol provided extensive coordination and analytical support, while Eurojust facilitated judicial cooperation between countries. The operation also involved ENISA and private cybersecurity partners. Investigations continue as authorities pursue the network’s broader support base and remaining infrastructure.
Read more on The Gaze: Electronic Warfare in Ukraine: Winning the War One Signal at a Time