A series of Belgian Government websites were disrupted on Monday by a cyberattack carried out by Russian hackers – who in their messaging threatened to disrupt Sunday's municipal elections.
Following the attack on Monday, the responsible hacker collective claims was in response to Belgium’s support for Russian-occupied Ukraine.
The group, known as NoName057, justified the attack on its Telegram channel, citing Belgium’s plans to donate several Caesar cannons to Ukraine.
"The Belgian Government will soon consider a proposal to purchase and transfer three Caesar cannons to Ukraine for 12 million euros," the channel stated.
"We decided to pay the anti-Russian Belgium a visit to show the consequences of aiding the criminal regime in Kyiv."
The hackers also hinted at a potential disruption of the upcoming local and provincial elections. “On Sunday, 13 October, there are important elections in Belgium where citizens will elect their municipal councillors,” they noted.
Monday’s cyberattack caused several websites, including those of various provinces, to go offline temporarily.
