Musings From Abroad

Anonymous lay claims to hacking Russia’s Central Bank, vows to release 35,000 secret agreements in 48 hours

Published

2 years ago

March 25, 2022

Hacking collective group, Anonymous, claims it has hacked into the Russian Central Bank, and has access to around 35,000 files of secret agreements it would release in the next 48 hours.

The hacking group which made the announcement on its Twitter account on Thursday, said the attack on the Russian apex bank is in continuation of its self-appointed cyberwar against offensive countries and high profile organisations in different parts of the world.

Though the Twitter account purportedly belonging to the group has not yet given proof that it had successfully undertaken the hack, or that it had access to the promised documents, the alleged invasion follows reports that the bank’s governor, Elvira Nabiullina, had attempted to resign following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Her offer to resign was, however, rejected, with President Vladimir Putin nominating her for a third term in the role, and Nabiullina has been trying to keep the economy afloat despite a raft of sanctions imposed by other countries, with many companies pulling out of Russia.

Since the Ukrainian invasion, Anonymous, and other closely aligned hacker groups, have been targeting Russian assets and companies.

On Thursday they, again, repeated their call for international companies continuing to operate in Russia to pull out immediately.

“Although some companies have responded to our request to stop their activities in Russia, there are still companies that refuse to leave Russia.

“Our last call is clear: Stop operating in Russia immediately if you have little mercy left for the massacred children in Ukraine,” their tweet said.

“Immediately stop your activity in Russia if you feel sorry for the innocent people who are being massacred violently in Ukraine.

“Your time is running out. We do not forgive. We do not forget,” another tweet reads.

Earlier in the week, GhostSec, a subsidiary of the Anonymous collective, claimed to have hacked printers in Russia to print out over 10,000 anti-Putin and anti-war messages.

“This isn’t your war. This is your government’s war,” the message said.

“Your brothers and sisters are being lied to, some units think they’re practicing military drills, however, when they arrive to what they think is a drill they’re greeted by bloodthirsty Ukrainians who want redemption and revenge from the damage that Putin’s puppets cause upon the land.”

Anonymous had previously claimed to hacking Russian television for the same purposes.

“The hacking collective Anonymous hacked into the Russian streaming services Wink and Ivi (like Netflix) and live TV channels Russia 24, Channel One, Moscow 24 to broadcast war footage from Ukraine,” the group said at the time.

Related Topics:Anonymous Featured Hacking Invasion Russia Ukraine

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Musings From Abroad

3 Americans sentenced to death in DR Congo for thwarted coup

Published

2 days ago

September 15, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

A military court has sentenced 37 accused persons to death for their roles in the failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May, including three US nationals.

On May 19, armed men took over the presidential residence in Kinshasa for a short while until security forces assassinated their leader, Christian Malanga, a politician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who was living in the US.

Marcel Malanga, his son, and Tyler Thompson, a friend of Marcel’s who played football with him in high school in Utah, were two of the Americans on trial. They’re both in their 20s.

Christian Malanga’s business associate Benjamin Zalman-Polun was the third American.
All three received the death penalty in a decision that was read aloud on television after being convicted guilty of terrorism, criminal conspiracy, and other offences.

Malanga had already informed the court that his father had threatened to murder him if he didn’t take part. In addition, he informed the court that he was going to Congo for the first time at his father’s invitation—a relationship he had not had in a long time.

After the failed coup, some fifty individuals, including citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Belgium, and the Congo, are awaiting prosecution. Thirty-seven offenders received death sentences.

The decision was announced in the courtyard of the military jail Ndolo, which is located outside of Kinshasa, beneath a tent. The defendants, dressed in prison-issue blue and yellow tops, were seated in front of the judge.

July marked the start of the trial. Ambassador personnel were present at the proceedings, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in Washington, and they will keep a careful eye on any further developments.

“We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the court’s decision,” he told a briefing.

Jean-Jacques Wondo, a citizen of Belgium and Congo, is one of the 37 defendants. Before the trial, Wondo’s family made video messages to Congo President Félix Tshisekedi pleading for his release.

Musings From Abroad

US backs 2 permanent seats for Africa in Security Council

Published

4 days ago

September 13, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

United States Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, is set to announce the position that the US favours giving two permanent seats to African states in the Security Council, and one seat that would be rotated among small island developing states.

The action is being taken as the US looks to strengthen its relationships with Pacific Island countries that are crucial to fending off Chinese influence in the area and mend fences with Africa, where many people are upset over Washington’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

The declaration, which Thomas-Greenfield described as a part of US President Joe Biden’s legacy, is intended to “move this agenda forward in a way that we can achieve Security Council reform at some point in the future,” she told journalists.

In addition to Washington’s long-standing support for India, Japan, and Germany to also receive permanent seats on the council, there is a drive for two permanent African members and a rotating seat for small island developing states.

Developing countries have long sought seats on the Security Council, the UN’s most powerful body, permanently. However, years of reform negotiations have yielded little results, and it’s uncertain if US backing could spur action.

Thomas-Greenfield made it clear to Reuters ahead of the Council on Foreign Relations’ announcement in New York on Thursday that Washington opposes the extension of the veto power beyond the five nations that now possess it.

The Security Council is responsible of upholding global peace and security and is vested with the authority to employ force, impose sanctions, and enforce arms embargoes.

There were eleven members of the Security Council at the UN’s founding in 1945. In 1965, the number of members rose to 15, consisting of five permanent veto-wielding nations (the US, Britain, China, Russia, and France) and ten elected governments serving two-year terms.