The pro-Russian threat actor NoName057(16) is recruiting volunteers via Telegram for a "Patriotic Online Games" campaign, offering cryptocurrency rewards for conducting DDoS attacks, reconnaissance, and ransomware operations against European government, financial, and critical infrastructure entities supporting Ukraine. This campaign represents a coordinated effort to leverage cybercrime for geopolitical retaliation, significantly increasing the threat landscape for targeted organizations. The article does not describe a specific software vulnerability but rather a broad threat campaign; therefore, CVSS scores, affected versions, patches, and technical workarounds are not applicable.
Threat Intelligence Pro-Russian hacker group launches ‘Patriotic Online Games’ campaign targeting European organizations June 5, 2026 Share By SC Staff (Image credit: opolja via Getty) According to Tech Radar, the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) has initiated a new campaign called "Patriotic Online Games," aiming to recruit and mobilize cybercriminals for attacks against organizations in European countries that support Ukraine. The group is leveraging Telegram to enlist "patriotic volunteers," offering cryptocurrency rewards for participating in various cyber activities, including DDoS attacks, information gathering, and ransomware operations. Targets primarily include government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure within European nations that have publicly supported Ukraine. NoName057(16) has a history of conducting disruptive DDoS attacks against Western entities, with previous incidents targeting Taiwanese firms and Italian airports. The group has explicitly stated that these attacks are retaliation for Italy's pro-Ukrainian policies. While Russia typically denies involvement in such activities, this campaign highlights a coordinated effort to leverage cybercrime for geopolitical aims, potentially increasing the threat landscape for organizations across Europe. Source: Tech Radar SC Staff Related Threat Intelligence New China-linked threat cluster OP-512 targets Microsoft IIS servers SC Staff June 5, 2026 OP-512 deploys a custom web shell framework consisting of three distinct web shells, designed to provide attackers with remote access while evading detection. Threat Intelligence California man sentenced to over 26 years for dark web drug trafficking SC Staff June 5, 2026 Darren Hughes, 39, of San Jose, was convicted in November 2025 on drug trafficking charges. Threat Intelligence China-linked actors using job sites to target government workers, Five Eyes warns SC Staff June 4, 2026 The intelligence agencies, comprising the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, detailed a sophisticated espionage campaign. Related Events Cybercast Better Threat Intelligence Between Public and Private Sectors On-Demand Event Virtual Conference Nationwide Cybersecurity Summit 2025: Safeguarding America’s Digital Future On-Demand Event Virtual Conference Securing the Future of Finance: Strategies to Counter Modern Cyber Threats On-Demand Event Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe Related Terms Backdoor DNS Spoofing Deauthentication Attack Distributed Scans Domain Hijacking Google Hacking Hybrid Attack Information Warfare Password Cracking Reconnaissance You can skip this ad in 5 seconds