Several Russian radio broadcasters were hacked to broadcast a fake speech by President Vladimir Putin announcing an offensive and emergency measures by Kiev’s troops in three regions bordering Ukraine, Kremlin officials said Monday. AFP.
The hacking incident followed several infiltration attempts and heavy shelling in southwestern Belgorod, and as Ukraine says it is preparing for a long-anticipated retaliation.
Putin’s fake message, which is still circulating on social media, said that “Ukrainian troops, armed with the teeth of NATO, and with the consent and support of Washington, have invaded the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions.” “
A voice very similar to Putin’s also announced martial law, general mobilization and evacuation of civilians in the three regions.
“It was indeed a hack,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the state agency. RIA Novosti.
“Control has already been restored.”
The administrative center of the Belgorod region said the message was a “deep fake” intended to “instill panic among the peaceful residents of Belgorod.”
Belgorod’s neighboring region of Voronezh also warned its residents against “hacking of radio broadcasting frequencies” and said there was “no reason for concern.”
The MIR radio station said the hacking, which it called “completely fake and provocative”, lasted about 40 minutes.
The offensive failed
Earlier, Russia announced that its forces had successfully repelled a major offensive launched by Ukraine at several points along the front in southern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Hundreds of pro-Kiev soldiers were killed in the clashes, according to Russian officials. It remains uncertain whether the reported attack is the start of a long-anticipated Ukrainian retaliation to reclaim territory seized by Russian forces following the February 2022 invasion.
Russia’s Defense Ministry revealed that Ukraine launched an offensive with six mechanized and two tank battalions in the southern Donetsk region, an area Moscow has long suspected of trying to infiltrate Russian-controlled territory. will
The Ministry of Defense explained that “on the morning of June 4, the enemy launched a large-scale attack in five sectors of the front in the direction of southern Donetsk. The enemy’s goal was to break our defenses in the weakest sector of the front. However, the enemy Failed to achieve objectives.”
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Ryzenkov posted a cryptic message on Twitter on Sunday, quoting the lyrics of the Depeche Mode song “Enjoy the Silence.”
“Words are so unnecessary, they can only hurt,” his tweet read.