Three ‘pro-Russian’ hackers arrested in Spain for cyber attacks

MADRID (Reuters) – Three pro-Russian hackers have been arrested for alleged cyber attacks against Spain and other NATO countries for terrorist purposes, Spanish police said on Saturday.

The suspects were detained for their alleged participation in distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyber attacks against public institutions and strategic sectors, the Civil Guard reported.

It was not known whether the three suspects, who were not identified, were charged or detained.

Cyberattacks were allegedly carried out against web pages of public and private organizations in government sectors, critical infrastructure and essential services in countries supporting Ukraine in the conflict with Russia, it said.

Police released a video on social media platform X of a raid on the home of one of the suspects, in which a Soviet-era hammer and sickle flag was attached to the wall.

“These computer attacks were organized by the hacktivist group NoName057(16), (which started) after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and (which has been) one of the most active,” the Civil Guard said in a statement.

“In its own founding manifesto, this group recognizes that it ‘will respond proportionately to the hostile and openly anti-Russian actions of Western Russophobes’.”

The arrests took place in Manacor on the Spanish island of Mallorca in the Balearics, and in Huelva and Seville in southern Spain, police said.

Police said the investigation was ongoing.

(Reporting by Graham Keeley)