On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the digital infrastructure of Rēzekne, a strategic city in eastern Latvia, became the target of a sophisticated disinformation campaign. Unidentified hackers breached the official website of SIA “Rēzeknes Satiksme,” the municipal transport provider, to publish fabricated plans regarding new international bus routes connecting the city to major hubs in Russia and Belarus.
The fraudulent post, titled “Information for Passengers: Planned Social Routes in the Eastern Direction,” falsely claimed that the city would soon launch regular bus services to Vitebsk, Minsk, Pskov, Smolensk, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. The disinformation specifically highlighted a “social tariff” intended to make these cross-border trips more accessible, a detail likely designed to stir public expectation or civil unrest in a region sensitive to geopolitical tensions.
Official Denial of Cross-Border Expansion
SIA “Rēzeknes Satiksme” and the Rēzekne City Council have issued an immediate and total denial of these reports. Officials confirmed that the publication was the result of a cyber-attack and that the information contained within it is entirely false. The transport company has not planned, discussed, or approved any such routes, nor has the municipality made any decisions regarding the implementation of “social tariffs” for international travel.
“We inform the public that this publication is a forgery,” a spokesperson for the transport provider stated. “SIA ‘Rēzeknes Satiksme’ has not published such an announcement, has not planned the mentioned routes, and neither the council nor its capital company have made any decisions on the organization of such transport.”
To add a layer of perceived legitimacy to the fake news, the hackers included a forged document purportedly showing a council decision. However, the municipality has confirmed that no council meeting took place on the date mentioned in the fake post, and no decision with the referenced identification number exists in the official records.
Geopolitical Context of the Breach
For readers outside the Baltic region, this incident represents more than a simple website hack. Rēzekne is located in the Latgale region of Latvia, approximately 50 kilometers from the Russian border. Given the current international climate and the sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine, the suggestion of “socially subsidized” travel to Russian cities is a highly provocative narrative.
Security analysts often view such incidents as part of “hybrid warfare” tactics—efforts to destabilize public trust in local government and create confusion regarding border policies. By targeting a municipal transport site, the attackers aimed at a service that residents rely on daily, maximizing the potential for the disinformation to spread before being debunked.
Public Safety and Verification Protocols
The Rēzekne City Council is urging residents to exercise extreme caution and to critically evaluate their information sources. In an era of increasing digital interference, the municipality emphasizes that official decisions and transport schedules are only valid when published through verified, official channels.
Residents are encouraged to cross-reference any news regarding municipal services with the official city portal at www.rezekne.lv, specifically within the “Municipality” and “Meetings” sections where all legitimate council decisions are archived. The incident has been reported to the relevant national security and information technology emergency response authorities to investigate the source of the breach and prevent further spread of misleading information.
This breach serves as a reminder for public institutions across Europe to bolster their cybersecurity defenses, as local government platforms remain prime targets for those looking to exert influence through digital disruption.
Original reporting by: rezekne
Source: Rēzeknes valstspilsētas pašvaldība
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