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Hackers have been launching numerous cyberattacks against Russian websites in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The hackers have targeted several media websites, including Russian state news agency TASS and Russian newspapers Kommersant and Izvestia.
The websites were all hacked to display anti-war messages attacking Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Dear citizens. we call on you to stop this madness," the message began, according to Fox News. "don't send your sons and husbands to sure death. Putin is making us lie and puts us in danger. We have been isolated from the world, no one is buying our oil & gas. In a few year's time we'll be living like in North Korea. Why do we need this? For Putin to make it to history books? This is not our war, let's stop it!"
The message was credited to the loosely-affiliated hacking collective Anonymous, though it appears some of those responsible may have worked for the organizations that were targeted.
"This message will be deleted and some of us will be fired and maybe put to jail. But we can't tolerate this anymore. Russian journalists who care. Anonymous," the message concluded.
Anonymous, which declared war on Putin last week, also leaked a database for the state-owned Sberbank, which is in danger of failing due to the economic sanctions and an influx of customers seeking to withdraw their funds.