Moldovans who run the London grocery delivery business are asking people to stop bombarding them with one-star reviews, mistakenly believing they are Russian
- Eastern European restaurants under attack by malicious anti-Russia reviews
- Birch and Bear in London is run by Moldovans and says they are under attack
- The move comes after the anonymous hacker group asked people to check Russian restaurants to protest the war in Ukraine
Russian restaurants and other establishments mistaken for them are being targeted with fake one-star ratings after the invasion of Ukraine.
Eastern European grocery stores – including Ukrainian restaurants – are being bombarded with malicious reviews after hacking collective Anonymous encouraged them to bomb Russian-owned businesses.
The mess leaves besieged owners – many of whom have no ties to Russia – to fight to salvage their reputations amid the influx.
Birch & Bear is a Moldovan-owned business that serves a variety of Eastern European dishes
Moldova borders Ukraine and has taken in refugees from the war-torn country following the Russian invasion
Anonymous tweeted: “Go to Google Maps. Go to Russia. Find a restaurant or shop and write a review.’
“If you write the review, explain what is happening in Ukraine.”
Their goal was to encourage Russians to defy leader Vladimir Putin, but British companies have been caught in the crossfire of bad reviews.
A Moldovan family restaurant asked people to stop showering it with potentially disastrous reviews.
Birch and Bear on the Isle of Dogs in London is owned by a Moldovan who serves Eastern European and Ukrainian food.
The review bombing organized by Anonymous was designed to get Russians to speak out about Putin
The terrified owner has chosen to remain anonymous, but Moldovan friend Nistor Busuioc said: “Please stop staring reviews. I am Moldovan and the owner is Moldovan too.
“Our country is currently hosting thousands of refugees and is helping Ukrainians in everything possible.
“We stand by Ukraine. Stop the war, stop Putin.”
Moldova is on high alert after Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko hinted that after invading Ukraine, Russia and Belarus could be next in line to invade Moldova.
The former Soviet state could become the next country to fall in Putin’s bid to restore Russian rule over the territory of the former USSR after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Britain’s oldest Russian restaurant Borshtch n Tears in South Kensington, west London, has garnered 12 scathing reviews in two days.
Russian civilians have taken to the streets to protest the war in Ukraine – often at great personal cost – as cracks began to form in Vladimir Putin’s propaganda machine.
The Birch and Bear employee was forced to ask the malicious hackers to stop the checks
Hackers like Anonymous have also reportedly targeted government websites, state broadcasters and a rail network that moves troops from Russia to Ukraine.
Anonymous has so far taken responsibility for over 1,500 cyber attacks in the past few days.
She claims to have hacked TV stations in Russia showing footage of the war and websites for the Kremlin and the Russian Defense Ministry.
Reported clips include a young father saying goodbye to his fleeing wife and daughter and the damage caused by Russian bombs.
