Russian Scientist Detained for Treason Amid DDoS Attack Allegations

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a scientist in Moscow on suspicion of treason. The unnamed scientist allegedly carried out DDoS attacks on critical infrastructure for Ukrainian security services and sent money to the Ukrainian military. The scientist has reportedly confessed.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a scientist in Moscow, accusing him of treason. The FSB's statement on Tuesday revealed that the suspect had orchestrated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on vital infrastructure on behalf of Ukrainian security services.

Additionally, the scientist is alleged to have sent financial aid to the Ukrainian military and gathered sensitive information on the Russian armed forces. According to the FSB, the suspect has confessed to these allegations.

Though the exact timing of the arrest remains unclear, Russian media outlets have shared supposed footage of the detention, indicating it might have occurred weeks earlier. Ostorozhno Novosti, a Russian political Telegram channel, identified the scientist as Artyom Khoroshilov, a physicist arrested in December 2023 according to state news agency RIA. This information has not been independently verified by Reuters.

(With inputs from agencies.)