MOSCOW – Russian radio stations were hacked to play fake speeches by President Vladimir Putin announcing the Kiev military invasion and emergency measures in three regions bordering Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Monday.
The hack occurred amid multiple reported intrusion attempts, There was heavy artillery fire southwest of Belgorod, And as Kiev says, it is preparing for the long-anticipated counterattack.
The fake message, which is still circulating on social media, said that “Ukrainian forces, armed to the brim with NATO and with Washington’s consent and support, invaded the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk territories.”
The voice, very similar to Putin’s, also announced martial law, general mobilization and evacuation of civilians in these three regions.
“This was just a hack,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, state agency RIA Novosti reported. “Control has already been restored.”
The Belgorod Regional Management Center said the message was a “deepfake” intended to “cause panic among peaceful Belgorod residents.”
The Voronezh region, which neighbors Belgorod, also warned residents about “radio frequency hacking” and said “no need to worry.”
MIR radio station called the hack “totally fake and provocative” and said it lasted about 40 minutes. AFP
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/russian-radio-stations-hacked-played-fake-putin-message-of-invasion-from-ukraine Russian radio station hacked to play fake Putin message of ‘invasion’ from Ukraine