An international group of hackers that collectively call themselves Anonymous has declared war on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The announcement was made on Twitter, with the group saying they are “currently involved in operations against the Russian Federation.”

“We want the Russian people to understand that we know it’s hard for them to speak out against their dictator for fear of reprisals,” the group wrote. “We, as a collective want only peace in the world. We want a future for all of humanity. So, while people around the globe smash your internet providers to bits, understand that it’s entirely directed at the actions of the Russian government and Putin.”

On Thursday, RT.com, the Kremlin’s media mouthpiece, was taken offline for a while. Websites for the Kremlin itself and for the State Duma lower house of parliament were also taken offline.

Ukraine has also requested for hackers to step up and help with the country’s cybersecurity.

Yegor Aushev, the co-founder of a cybersecurity company, told Reuters that some volunteers will conduct cyber espionage on Russia, while others will work to protect the Ukraine’s infrastructure.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)