Hackers were responsible for posting images of Russian President Vladimir Putin and critical statements about a military operation on advertising screens at the Horizon shopping and entertainment center in Rostov on April 18. The incident occurred at 10 am, but the shopping center quickly discovered and corrected the issue.
However, similar negative messages appeared on advertising screens near the Kirov wholesale market on the same day. One of the images featured statements allegedly made by the mother of a special military operation.
The administration of Yekaterinburg confirmed that the incidents were caused by hackers, and noted that similar events occurred in other regional centers. The city hall stated that the screen near the wholesale market was disconnected only 15 minutes after the unexpected broadcast started.
The incidents highlight the potential vulnerability of public advertising screens to unauthorized manipulation by malicious actors. Despite authorities’ efforts to prevent such occurrences, it remains a relatively common occurrence in various parts of Russia.