Interview with an Anonymous hacktivist. At war with Putin: "We will win".

Anonymous declared war on Russia on 24 February 2022, when Putin's troops carried out military aggression against Ukraine. The actions undertaken by hacktivists immediately gained enormous public support and media coverage. Polish internet users express encouragement for the group and keep their fingers crossed for the success of their action.

Let us remind that Anonymous collective is behind, inter alia, the paralyzing of Russian government websites, including the state-controlled news site "Russia Today", as well as the site of Gazprom corporation.    

They also stole data from the Russian Federation's defense ministry website database and emails (circa 200GB) of Belarusian weapons manufacturer Tetraedr (Anonymous reported that the company provided Vladimir Putin with logistical support for the invasion of Ukraine).

Moreover, the hacktivists also reported the interception of the Russian military communication (they communicated to the public its frequency and released an audio file in which the sounds of gunfire and voices of soldiers can be heard) and hacked Russian TV. This enabled them to broadcast materials related to Ukraine.

"We can see the clouds of war carried by a madman. We are angered that the Russian military surrounded and then invaded Ukraine. All because Vladimir Putin wants to conquer a sovereign nation and take control of it" say Anonymous in their latest video on cyber operations targeting Russia.

We encourage all members of the Russian military to lay down their arms and leave. Anonymous.

They add that they will not sit idly by while the occupying forces "murder innocent people trying to defend their homeland." "We stand behind the Ukrainians. We stand behind the Russians who oppose the dictator. We stand for everyone in the world who wants to turn this land into a better place to live. We are Anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive; we do not forget. Putin should expect us." - hacktivists emphasize.

Recognizing their commitment to fighting for Ukraine's freedom, we decided to contact one of the Anonymous and talk about how he sees his role on the cyberwarfare front. Due to the nature of his activity, he speaks under the nickname "Veteran".

Szymon Palczewski, CyberDefence24.pl: What's your goal in this war? What is your motivation?

"Veteran": Our goal is to show support to the Ukrainian people, to embarrass the Russian state and show the Russian people that their leaders are waging a cruel war against their brothers and sisters who have suffered the same horrors as the Russian people under former leaders. We are against any war because our masters declare them where the people can only obey and die in them.

Why did you join the war against Russia?

We cannot ignore when people get oppressed and face terror from any state, only the people get hurt. Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who are hungry and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. We are guided by great empathy. It is impossible to think of a genuine Anonymous lacking this quality.

How many people do you have in Anonymous?

Anonymous, is not a group or a political organization, Anonymous is an idea that is the spark that ignites the fires of change. We are all equal, everyone's contribution is equal, we are all one. We have no leaders or official representatives. Anonymous has years with memorable operations that brought attention to issues that were in dire need of support. Anonymous stood strong within the public eye, and we took on actions against governments, that we, as normal citizens, would have never thought of. Like in operation Syria, operation PayBack, operation PayPal, operation Defense, operation Egypt and many more. All of these operations had one thing in common: solidarity between all Anons worldwide, all lending a helping hand to their fellow Anons.

Are your actions coordinated, or maybe each participant acts on their own?

Anons come from all walks of life, there is no official way to join Anonymous, and thus there are no official leaders, officers, members, coffee-fetchers, etc. They are all one anarchic "hive mind". This hive mind usually has one thing in common: most are hacktivists, protesters, and defenders of what they believe is right. Operations work with opt-in/out principle, some begin an operation if others agree to participate, and that the operation should grow in support of others.

Is there anyone from Poland in Anonymous?

Yes, Anonymous is worldwide.

How can we support Anonymous? You do so much for us in this war...

We have to honor the place within all where we stand for, we have to honor the place within all the love of light, of truth, of peace. We have to honor the place within all of them, where, when we are in that place in all. Become the teacher for others, give guidance to them who seek it, become mentors to empower. Remember, we were all once new, and sought advice. Let us show them support and act in solidarity with Ukraine you can do everything, limited only by your imagination. Put some of that vast imagination into action to make people feel your energy and show our collective strength in struggle! Till all are free together and in peace!

Can you promise that you will not give up, and we will win with Putin together?

That is the goal, to get rid of those authoritarian leaders, we will fight with all the bits and bytes within our reach rather than let ourselves be nailed to the cross or whatever... We don't care if we fall, as long as someone else picks up the struggle, united in revolt, organize to revolt, be the seeds of revolt. They have the guns, we have hacks. Therefore, we will win.

Thank you very much!

We are Anonymous, We are Legion, We do not forgive, We do not forget, Expect Us!