PODGORICA -- Montenegro suspects Russian involvement in a massive cyberattack targeting government websites and infrastructure, the second such attack on the Balkan country in less than a week.
A high-ranking source with the National Security Agency (ANB) told RFE/RL's Balkan Service that "critical state infrastructure" was targeted in the early morning cyberattack on August 26 and that Russian security services are suspected of involvement.
The ANB source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, described the cyberattack as "unprecedented" in scale and said it was prepared over a long period of time.
The government has not announced the extent of the damage, but Public Administration Minister Maras Dukaj tweeted on August 26 that the attack was directed at the government's IT infrastructure and that "state authorities" were the primary target.
Dakaj said that some services had been temporarily disabled for security reasons but that the data of both citizens and businesses was secure. Dakaj also wrote that allies of Montenegro, a NATO member, had been notified of the attack.
Russian state security bodies have been accused of involvement in numerous hacking attacks and cyberattacks targeting Western governments and businesses in recent years. Experts have warned about the increased dangers of such attacks following Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February, which led Western countries to impose punitive sanctions against Moscow.
Russia has denied any involvement in the cyberattacks.
Montenegro was also hit by a cyberattack on August 23. The government's IT structures, Interior Ministry, and Prosecutor-General's Office were all involved in the investigation into that attack.
In the wake of the August 26 attack, the National Council for Information Security announced that it plans to hold a special session to discuss the issue.
Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic said on August 26 that the two attacks were politically motivated, suggesting that there was a link between the cyberattacks and the lawmakers' planned August 20 no-confidence vote on his government.