Russia’s Statistics Agency Hit by Cyberattack as Hackers Claim Massive Data Theft

Nov. 1, 2026 Fotis Fotopoulos / unsplash Russia’s state statistics agency Rosstat said Sunday that its websites had been hit by a coordinated cyberattack, while hackers claimed to have stolen 23 terabytes of data, including information on Russian losses in the war in Ukraine. Messages from the Belarusian Cyber Partisans and Silent Crow hacking groups appeared on the agency’s main website and regional portals, Rosstat told the RBC news website. Among them was a message in Belarusian reading: “No one will escape accountability.” Both groups are designated as extremist and banned in Russia. Rosstat said the attacks took place between Oct. 29 and Nov. 1 and were carefully planned, targeting several areas simultaneously and involving specialists with different expertise operating from a wide range of locations. The agency denied that any databases or legally protected information had been leaked, saying its monitoring systems had detected suspicious activity in time for staff to respond quickly. Its main website was inaccessible at the time of publication. The hackers claimed the stolen files included data on Russian wartime losses, demographic and economic statistics, and documents marked “for official use only.” Their claims could not be independently verified. Rosstat’s official methodology includes a category for deaths resulting from military operations. But the agency stopped publishing its annual cause-of-death statistics in 2024. Other data that could help assess the war’s impact have also disappeared from public access. The same hacking groups claimed responsibility for a July 2025 attack on Aeroflot’s IT systems that caused widespread disruption. Russian prosecutors confirmed that a cyberattack had taken place and opened a criminal investigation into unauthorized access to computer systems. In January 2025, Silent Crow claimed to have stolen a database containing 2 billion records on property owners from state real estate registry Rosreestr. The agency denied a leak, although journalists were able to verify some of the information the hackers published. This article was translated with the help of artificial intelligence and was reviewed by a Moscow Times editor before publication. Learn more about our newsroom's AI policy here. Read this article in Russian at The Moscow Times' Russian service. Read more about: Rosstat , Hackers Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more U.S. RNC Breach Traced to Russia-Linked Hacking Group – Bloomberg The Kremlin denied the reports of Moscow's involvement in the hack. U.S. Says 'Russia-Based' Group DarkSide Behind Pipeline Hack President Biden said a Russia-based group was behind the ransomware attack that shut down the largest oil pipeline in the eastern U.S. Moscow Rejects U.S. Ransomware Attack Claims U.S. President Biden said there were indications the ransomware in the cyber attack on the U.S. fuel pipeline was "in Russia." Russian Hackers Targeted New York Times Newspaper — Reports The Moscow bureau of The New York Times has been targeted by hackers believed to be working with the Russian authorities, the newspaper reported Wednesday...