Russia was behind a destructive cyber attack on a water utility in 2024, Denmark says

Denmark has blamed Russia for a destructive cyberattack on a Danish water utility in 2024, framing it as part of Moscow’s hybrid campaign against Western critical infrastructure. Denmark’s Defence Intelligence Service attributed the assault to the pro-Russia group Z-Pentest and linked NoName057(16) to Russian state activity, with officials stating both groups are tools of Russia’s hybrid war.

FE reads the press release published by FE, noting that the pro-Russian group Z-Pentest behind the Danish waterworks attack has connections to the Russian state, and that NoName057(16), which carried out overload attacks against Danish websites ahead of the 2025 elections, also has connections. The Danish defence minister described the attacks as unacceptable, citing a December 2024 incident in Køge where hackers altered pump pressure at a water utility, causing pipes to burst.

Denmark’s security apparatus warned that recent cyber and drone incidents exposed gaps in national resilience and stressed that Danish infrastructure remains at risk from hybrid attacks. “This is very clear evidence that we are now where the hybrid war we have been talking about is unfortunately taking place,” said Lund Poulsen.