Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway in early April, releasing millions of gallons of water before the attack was stopped. Norway’s spy chief disclosed the incident on Thursday.
The hackers opened a floodgate at the Bremanger dam in western Norway, releasing roughly three Olympic-sized swimming pools’ worth of water during the four hours they controlled the dam’s systems. Beate Gangaas, head of Norway’s security police service, attributed the cyberattack to Russian hackers during a speech on Thursday.
The Russian embassy reportedly denied any involvement in the breach. This incident marks the latest in a series of alleged Russian cyberattacks targeting Western energy infrastructure.
Russia has previously been accused of cyberattacks on Ukraine’s power grid, causing widespread blackouts in 2015 and 2016. Russian-backed hackers have a history of targeting the energy sector, raising concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.