The **Russia's Supreme Court** is set to consider a request to designate two prominent hacker groups, **Belarusian Cyber Partisans** and **Silent Crow**, as extremist organizations. This unprecedented move aims to ban their activities within Russia, following a series of high-profile cyberattacks attributed to the groups targeting critical infrastructure and government institutions. The hearing will be held behind closed doors. **Targeted Operations and High-Profile Breaches** Both groups have previously claimed responsibility for significant cyber operations against Russian and Belarusian entities. Notably, less than a year ago, they took credit for a major cyberattack against **Aeroflot**, Russia's flagship carrier, in July 2025. This incident reportedly forced the cancellation of over 100 flights, impacting roughly 20,000 passengers. The hackers asserted they had crippled the airline's IT infrastructure and exfiltrated a trove of sensitive data. This included flight records, internal call recordings, and information from employee monitoring systems. They later published what they claimed were flight records belonging to **Aeroflot**'s chief executive. **The 'Extremist' Designation: What It Means** In Russia, organizations labeled as extremist are effectively outlawed. This designation leads to a ban on their activities, the blocking of their websites and publications, and potential administrative or criminal penalties for individuals associated with them. Russian authorities have increasingly applied this label to a broad spectrum of groups, including political opposition movements, religious organizations, and civil society initiatives. In response to the announcement, **Belarusian Cyber Partisans** posted on Telegram, stating: "Here comes recognition from Russia's Z-dictatorship of the effectiveness of our work and that of Silent Crow. We'll keep it up." **Silent Crow** has not publicly commented on the development. **Who Are the Belarusian Cyber Partisans?** **Belarusian Cyber Partisans** emerged in the aftermath of the mass protests in Belarus in 2020, which challenged the election results that Western countries widely deemed rigged, solidifying **President Alexander Lukashenko**'s rule. The group has since conducted numerous high-profile cyber operations, including attacks on Belarusian state institutions and the country's railway network. These railway attacks were explicitly stated to be aimed at disrupting Russian military logistics. In a 2024 interview, members of the group revealed they are actively sharing intelligence obtained from hacked Russian entities with **Ukrainian intelligence services** and **Western organizations**. **Silent Crow's Pro-Ukraine Stance** **Silent Crow** is identified as a pro-Ukraine hacking group, claiming responsibility for several cyberattacks against Russian targets. Earlier last year, the group asserted it had breached **Rosreestr**, Russia's state property registry. Since the **Aeroflot** incident, **Silent Crow** has maintained a low public profile, with no further updates on its Telegram channel. **Uncertain Practical Impact** Despite the legal implications within Russia, the practical impact of this designation on the two groups remains uncertain. Both **Belarusian Cyber Partisans** and **Silent Crow** operate predominantly online, maintaining public Telegram channels. **Belarusian Cyber Partisans** also utilizes a website and a YouTube channel, indicating a distributed and adaptable operational model that may prove challenging to fully suppress through domestic legal bans alone.