(Moscou) Plusieurs radios russes, victimes d’un « piratage », ont diffusé lundi un faux discours du président Vladimir Poutine faisant état d’une « invasion » ukrainienne et annonçant la mise en place d’une loi martiale dans les régions frontalières de l’Ukraine, ont indiqué les autorités russes.
Ce « discours » affirmant que « les forces ukrainiennes armées jusqu’aux dents […] and supported by Washington have invaded the regions of Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk”, was broadcast Monday on several radio stations in these border territories of Ukraine, according to local authorities. The voice and tone sounded very much like the Russian president.
The same message, attributed to Vladimir Putin and taken up on some social networks, announced the establishment of martial law in these regions, the forthcoming signing of a presidential decree on general mobilization in Russia and called on local residents to evacuate.
This hack came as incursions and bombings have increased for two weeks in the Belgorod region where pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters are attacking Russian forces.
“It was indeed a hack. We are aware, ”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies, assuring that frequency control had been restored by the radio stations concerned.
“Information about the invasion of Ukrainian forces in the Belgorod region, the establishment of martial law, general mobilization and evacuation […] are a fake “, affirmed for their part the authorities of the Belgorod region.
“The objective of this message is to sow panic among the peaceful inhabitants”, assured on Telegram the crisis unit set up by the authorities, calling to “keep calm” and to trust only the sources of information “ reliable”.
In the Voronezh region, also bordering Ukraine and some radios of which were also hacked, the authorities assured residents that there was “no reason to worry”.
“The situation in the region is under the control of the authorities and law enforcement,” they said on Telegram.
According to one of the affected radios, MIR, she lost control of her frequencies for about 40 minutes in the afternoon, calling it ” fake total and provocative” everything that was broadcast during this period.
In February, false anti-aircraft alerts had already been broadcast by several Russian radio and television channels, again due to hacks.