Montenegro wrestles with massive cyberattack, Russia blamed

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Associated Press

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — At the government headquarters in NATO-member Montenegro, the computers are unplugged, the internet is switched off and the state’s main websites are down. The blackout comes amid a massive cyberattack against the small Balkan state which officials say bears the hallmark of the pro-Russian hackers and its security services. The coordinated attack that started around Aug. 20 crippled online government information platforms and put Montenegro’s essential infrastructure, including banking, water and electricity power systems, at high risk. The attack capped a string of cyberattacks since Russia invaded Ukraine in which hackers targeted Montenegro and other European nations, most of them NATO members.