Cyberattack paralyzes Russian animal certification platform, halts milk supply

A cyberattack on the state-owned Mercury platform, which is responsible for electronic certification of animal products in Russia, has disrupted the dairy supply chain. The attack was the most serious since the beginning of the year, forcing producers to return to paper certificates, causing chaos in the market.

Mercury, a digital system that is part of the VetIS platform (Federal State Information System of Veterinary Supervision of Russia), went down earlier this week. Dairy producers were unable to issue electronic veterinary documents, without which acceptance of raw materials for processing is prohibited by Russian law. Many suppliers were forced to switch to paper certificates, but large chains such as Lenta, Yandex Lavka and Miratorg do not accept products without electronic documents, which led to a halt in supplies.

The Soyuzmoloko Milk Producers Association says suppliers lack clear guidance from regulators, and routine protocols were not prepared for prolonged disruptions. Large producers that handle high volumes of products and rely on integrated digital platforms have been hit hardest.

• The Mercury system is mandatory for all companies that deal with meat, milk, eggs and other animal products. Certification in it confirms the safety and authenticity of products. Disruptions to its work were previously recorded in 2025, but the current incident has become the largest. This is the third attack in a year. In December 2024, the Semyonyshna plant in Siberia was attacked using LockBit – then internal systems were also encrypted, and the event was linked to support for the war in Ukraine.

The Mercury incident demonstrates how critical the dependence on digital state platforms is in the agribusiness sector. The lack of alternatives and unpreparedness for long-term disruptions makes logistics vulnerable to cyber threats. The uninterrupted operation of such systems should be part of the national cyber strategy, especially in the context of hybrid warfare.