A widespread outage hit X on Monday which affected users across the world. Many experienced connectivity problems early in the day, with error messages appearing on their screens. Downdetector tracked a peak of 40,000 complaints as the service remained unstable for several hours.

A hacker group with alleged Russian ties, known as Dark Storm, has now claimed responsibility for the cyberattack that temporarily crippled the social media platform.

Hackers’ IPs Traced to Ukraine Region

The attack, identified as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assault, left thousands unable to access the platform before functionality was swiftly restored.

Cybersecurity firm SpyoSecure reported that Dark Storm’s leader had announced the attack in a now-deleted Telegram post. Before its removal, the message boasted about taking X offline, with screenshots showing widespread connection failures across multiple locations. While the group’s Telegram channel has been shut down for violating the platform’s policies, evidence of the attack continues circulating online.

For instance, Ed Krassenstein, an entrepreneur, and a social media commentator who also happens to be the co-founder of NFT marketplace NFTz.me, weighed in and claimed direct communication with Dark Storm’s leader. According to Krassenstein’s tweet, the hackers described their actions as a show of force rather than an operation driven by political motives.

However, Dark Storm’s history suggests otherwise. The group, which has been active since 2023, has a track record of targeting NATO countries and is known for its pro-Palestinian stance.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk confirmed the attack in an interview and noted that his team traced the origin of the hackers’ IP addresses to the “Ukraine area” without elaborating any further.

Political Firestorm

The latest development comes amidst the “Take Down Tesla” movement, as Tesla facilities nationwide have become hotspots for protests and vandalism, fueled by opposition to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been eliminating government agencies. Demonstrators are reacting to Musk’s political influence within the Trump administration.

He has publicly accused five activist groups – Troublemakers, Disruption Project, Rise & Resist, Indivisible Project, and Democratic Socialists of America – of orchestrating the growing wave of demonstrations.

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