Pro-Democracy “Hacktivists” Hit Putin’s Ally

A group of hackers calling themselves “Cyber Partisans” struck the Belarusian railway in an attempt to hinder Russian troop movements.

• In his bid to surround Ukraine with Russian military forces on three sides, Russian President Vladimir Putin may have run into an unexpected snag.
• A group of pro-democracy Belarusian hackers calling themselves “Cyber Partisans” claim to have infiltrated the country’s railroad network in an attempt to foil Russian troop movements.
• The Kremlin has been deploying Russian troops to Belarus for what it claims are planned military exercises.
• But analysts believe Putin’s true goal is to surround Ukraine in preparation for a possible invasion. Belarus — run by an authoritarian leader and Putin ally — is Ukraine’s northern neighbor.
• It’s not the first time the “Cyber Partisans” have struck out at Belarus’s brutally repressive government. Last year, the group exposed apparent abuses by Belarus’s state security forces.
• Hacker groups often work in cooperation with authoritarian regimes around the world. But the hack in Belarus is a reminder that some hackers — or “hacktivists” — strike with pro-democracy motives.