What happened to Rosstat's systems
Rosstat says it identified "targeted destructive cyberattacks" between Oct. 29 and Nov. 1, and reported no signs its databases were compromised. The damage still shows up in day-to-day operations.
The agency did publish a preliminary read on third quarter GDP on Friday. By Saturday, however, the pages that normally host detailed GDP Excel files were returning 404 errors, and many other sections showed the same issue. The site has technically been back since Nov. 5, but many datasets still cannot be accessed.
Uncertainty extends beyond the website. It is unclear whether government entities retain access to past data, and gathering fresh figures has run into trouble. On Nov. 10, Rosstat gave companies an extra week, to Nov. 20, to file certain statistics, citing a "temporary restriction of the functionality of information systems."
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How the disruption is affecting reporting and government work
The calendar has shifted. The October consumer price update is now due Nov. 25 instead of Nov. 13, and the weekly inflation series has been pushed back for two consecutive weeks.
Rosstat's numbers feed into policy. The Bank of Russia and the finance and economy ministries use the data to set the benchmark interest rate, build the budget, and frame forecasts. "Government agencies - from ministries and the central bank to regional authorities - rely heavily on Rosstat's data and infrastructure in their day-to-day work," said Bloomberg Intelligence economist Ekaterina Vlasova. "Any serious disruption to the regular flow of statistical data therefore amounts, to some extent, to a disruption of the government's own operations."
Leaked files and what it means for your portfolio
Statements indicate that the Belarusian pro-opposition group Cyber Partisans, alongside Silent Crow, a Ukrainian hacker operation, claim to have extracted roughly 23 terabytes of data from Rosstat. Materials the groups shared with Bloomberg indicate Russia has recorded about 400,000 fatalities among its people fighting in Ukraine.
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