Azerbaijan blames Russian state hackers for cyberattacks on local media

Azerbaijani officials claimed that the Russian state-sponsored hacker group APT29 was behind a cyberattack on several local media outlets earlier this year.

The likely motive, according to Ramid Namazov, head of the Azerbaijani parliament’s commission on countering hybrid threats, was retaliation for the closure of the Russian House state-funded cultural center in Baku and significant staff cuts at the Azerbaijani branch of Sputnik radio.

In February, the Azerbaijani government ordered the closure of the Russian House, citing its lack of legal registration and violations of national legislation. Local media also reported that the center had been involved in espionage activities on behalf of Russian intelligence. Russia dismissed the allegations as a “groundless” disinformation campaign.

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