Moscow Electoral System Faces Massive Cyberattack Amidst Ongoing Voting

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Ella Pamfilova, head of Russia’s Central Election Commission, announced on Saturday that Moscow’s electoral system experienced a widespread and intense foreign cyberattack overnight, with such assaults continuing. Pamfilova characterized the attack as considerable in its severity and scope, but affirmed that all attempts were thwarted. Technical experts and election organizers are reportedly in full control of the situation.

She emphasized that remote electronic voting in Moscow is proceeding as normal, and the system’s security infrastructure is designed to ensure its continued operation throughout the voting period. These attacks coincide with the ongoing ninth election for Russia’s State Duma, which runs from September 18 to 20. Voters in Moscow and several other regions have the option to cast their ballots electronically.

Official figures from Moscow’s election authorities indicate that over 2.2 million residents utilized the electronic voting system within the first 24 hours, with approximately 2.18 million votes officially registered. An additional 100,000 votes were cast during the nighttime hours.

This year’s elections also involve determining representatives for local legislative assemblies in 39 regions across Russia. Furthermore, eight regions are conducting direct elections for local leadership positions. In total, thousands of seats at various electoral levels are up for contention.

Pamfilova did not provide details regarding the perpetrator or origin of the attacks on Moscow’s electoral system, nor did she identify any specific group or country allegedly behind these assaults.