Montenegro’s security agency warned Friday that hackers from Russia have launched a massive, coordinated cyberattack against the small nation’s government and its services.
The Agency for National Security, or ANB, said Montenegro is “under a hybrid war at the moment.”
The Adriatic Sea state, once considered a strong Russian ally, in 2017 joined NATO despite strong opposition from Moscow. It has also joined Western sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to most European countries, Russia has added Montenegro to its list of “enemy states” for acting against Kremlin’s interests.
{ Read: Russian Use of Cyberweapons in Ukraine and the Growing Threat to the West }
The Montenegrin government earlier this week reported first in series of cyberattacks on its servers, but said it managed to prevent any damage. However, the attack seems to be ongoing.
“Coordinated Russian services are behind the cyber attack,” the ANB said in a statement. “This kind of attack was carried out for the first time in Montenegro and it has been prepared for a long period of time.”
Dusan Polovic, a government official, said “I can say with certainty that this attack that Montenegro is experiencing these days comes directly from Russia.”
The U.S. embassy in Montenegro warned its citizens in the Balkan state to be aware of a “persistent and ongoing cyberattack that is in process.”
“The attack may include disruptions to the public utility, transportation (including border crossings and airport), and telecommunication sectors,” it said.
Related: Russia vs Ukraine – The War in Cyberspace
Related: Russia-Ukraine: Threat of Local Cyber Ops Escalating Into Global Cyberwar
Related: Russia, Ukraine and the Danger of a Global Cyberwar
Related: Army of Cyber Hackers Rise Up to Back Ukraine

More from Associated Press
- Idaho Hospitals Working to Resume Full Operations After Cyberattack
- Major Massachusetts Health Insurer Hit by Ransomware Attack, Member Data May Be Compromised
- Biden Picks New NSA Head, Key to Support of Ukraine, Defense of US Elections
- White House Unveils New Efforts to Guide Federal Research of AI
- Meta Fined Record $1.3 Billion and Ordered to Stop Sending European User Data to US
- China Tells Tech Manufacturers to Stop Using Micron Chips, Stepping Up Feud With United States
- ChatGPT’s Chief Testifies Before Congress, Calls for New Agency to Regulate Artificial Intelligence
- Philadelphia Inquirer Hit by Cyberattack Causing Newspaper’s Largest Disruption in Decades
Latest News
- In Other News: Government Use of Spyware, New Industrial Security Tools, Japan Router Hack
- OpenAI Unveils Million-Dollar Cybersecurity Grant Program
- Galvanick Banks $10 Million for Industrial XDR Technology
- Information of 2.5M People Stolen in Ransomware Attack at Massachusetts Health Insurer
- US, South Korea Detail North Korea’s Social Engineering Techniques
- High-Severity Vulnerabilities Patched in Splunk Enterprise
- Idaho Hospitals Working to Resume Full Operations After Cyberattack
- Enzo Biochem Ransomware Attack Exposes Information of 2.5M Individuals
