Several Russian TV channels and radio stations were hacked to broadcast a fake message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said on Monday.
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The fake announcement claimed that "Ukrainian troops armed to the teeth by NATO and with Washington's consent and support have invaded the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk" regions.
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It also announced, falsely, that martial law had been declared and that a general evacuation of citizens was underway in the three border regions.
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"This was indeed a hack," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. "Control has already been restored."
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Nevertheless, a number of citizens have been evacuated from the areas closed to Ukraine in recent days amid renewed shelling in Belgorod.
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Officials in the Belgorod region — where Moscow has accused Ukrainian troops of staging a raid, which Kyiv denies — said the broadcast was a so-called deepfake intended to "sow panic among peaceful Belgorod residents."
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Meanwhile, in the neighboring Voronezh region, officials also warned residents about the "hacking of radio broadcasting frequencies."
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The Voronezh authorities added that "there is no cause for concern."
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One of the broadcasters that was hacked, Radio Mir, said the incident lasted around 40 minutes.
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