Cyber-Partisans encrypt systems at Belarusian fertilizer maker Grodno Azot

The Belarusian Cyber-Partisans hacktivist collective said it had carried out a large-scale attack on Grodno Azot, the state-owned nitrogen fertilizer producer that is the country's largest, and made the claim public on 17 April 2024. The group said the destructive phase began early that morning, after months of quiet access to the company's network.

According to the group, it encrypted several hundred workstations, put internal email and document management out of action, and deleted backups of databases, servers, mail and document flow. It also said it took control of physical security systems and surveillance cameras at the site and disrupted the plant's boiler house. The Cyber-Partisans published camera screenshots, internal documents and video footage as evidence.

Rather than money, the group demanded the release of political prisoners: everyone jailed in connection with Grodno Azot, plus 75 seriously ill prisoners it would name. It offered to restore the encrypted data if the demand was met and said it had deliberately used only part of its access, warning that the stakes would be higher if it were refused.

Grodno Azot said it had detected an external attempt to destabilise its operations and stated that the situation had not affected and would not affect production activity. Company officials declined further comment to journalists. The plant has been under Western sanctions since 2021 over its treatment of workers who joined protests after the 2020 presidential election.