A hacker collective identified as Anonymous Sudan, which claims Islamist aims and has targeted Swedish airports, hospitals, and banks, is described by experts as being tied to Russia. Bloomberg reports that the group presents itself as a bloc of activists from an East African country whose goal is to target anyone opposing Islam. However, analysts argue that a closer examination of the group’s social media activity shows the group does not appear to be Sudanese or Islamist in origin or mission.
Cybersecurity expert Matthias Wohlen notes that Anonymous Sudan exhibits hallmarks of a highly organized Russian-enabled operation with deep knowledge of Swedish political dynamics and social climate. The analysis suggests the group is engineering attacks to heighten tensions with Sweden’s Muslim community and to pressure Turkey to reject Sweden’s bid for NATO membership. This framing aligns with broader geopolitics where cyber actions are used to influence foreign policy and domestic discourse.
There have been prior online incidents linked to similar pro-Russian hacker activity affecting public and governmental targets. In one instance, a French Senate portal faced disruption associated with a group named NoName057, illustrating how cyber actors can pivot rapidly between regional and international objectives while leveraging ambiguous affiliations to amplify impact.