Norway’s domestic security service has blamed Russian hackers for taking control of a dam in western Norway in April, opening a floodgate and releasing millions of gallons of water before the breach was detected and stopped.
Beate Gangås, head of the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), said on Thursday that the April 2025 cyberattack on the Bremanger dam was carried out by actors linked to Moscow. The breach lasted about four hours, during which the attackers released the equivalent of roughly three Olympic-sized swimming pools of water. The floodgate discharged 500 liters (132 gallons) per second until the operation was detected and halted.
PST officials said the release caused no injuries or damage, as the water levels were well below flood capacity. Local media reported that the hackers may have exploited a weak password to gain access to the system.
“Over the past year, we have seen a change in activity from pro-Russian cyber actors.” Gangås said in her remarks, speaking to Norwegian media. “The aim of this type of operation is to influence and to cause fear and chaos among the general population. Our Russian neighbour has become more dangerous.”
Reports also said the attackers published a three-minute video of the breach on Telegram, bearing the watermark of a known pro-Russian cybercriminal group.
Kripos, Norway’s organized crime police unit, told the newspaper Aftenposten that the group is composed of multiple actors involved in cybercrime and has been linked to past attacks on businesses in Western countries.
The Russian embassy in Oslo denied involvement, calling the allegations “unfounded and politically motivated.” In a statement to Reuters, the embassy accused PST of “unsuccessfully trying to substantiate the mythical threat of Russian sabotage against Norwegian infrastructure,” referencing warnings made in the agency’s annual report.
🎙️Comment from the Embassy of Russia in Norway to @Reuters (13. August 2025)
❓The Head of the PST police security service, Beate Gangås, said that Russian hackers were behind an attack on a hydropower dam in Bremanger in April. What is your reaction to the statements made by… pic.twitter.com/o5l2R0iBm2
— Embassy of Russia in Norway (@RusEmbNo) August 14, 2025
Norway, which generates most of its electricity through hydropower, has previously identified cyberattacks on energy and water infrastructure as a major security risk. The Bremanger incident is the first time Oslo has formally attributed a domestic infrastructure hack to Russia.
The attack adds to a series of alleged Russian operations against Western energy systems in recent years. Russia was previously accused of targeting Ukraine’s power grid in 2015 and 2016, causing widespread blackouts, and of engaging in sabotage activity across Europe to deter support for Ukraine.
