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Hackers target Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform, replace website with anti-Ukrainian messages
Hackers defaced Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform’s website and took over its account on X, posting anti-Ukrainian imagery and pro-Russian messaging. The agency said it was investigating the breach and working to restore services, while the incident adds to a series of cyberattacks affecting Ukrainian media and public information systems.
The website displayed the word “ZELENET”, a crossed-out Ukrainian flag and a Telegram link; Ukrinform’s X account was renamed and given a pro-Russian slogan. Director General Serhii Cherevatyi said the agency had faced several attacks in recent months, with attackers using increasingly sophisticated methods, including artificial intelligence. Ukrinform is working with Ukraine’s security and communications agencies to strengthen its defences; recent incidents also targeted the Kyiv Independent, Ukrainska Pravda and an air raid alert app.
In short
- Hackers defaced Ukrinform’s website and compromised its X account.
- The agency is investigating and restoring services with state agencies.
- Recent attacks have also targeted other Ukrainian media and systems.
Explained simply
Ukrinform is Ukraine’s state news agency, which reports news from Ukraine and distributes information to the public and other media. Its website and social media accounts are channels through which readers access that reporting.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the country’s media and public information systems have faced cyberattacks as well as disruption from the war. Ukrinform has reported attacks in recent months, and other Ukrainian news outlets and an air raid alert app have also been targeted.
A breach of a news agency’s platforms can interfere with access to information and make it harder for readers to tell whether a message is genuine. Ukrinform is working with Ukrainian security and communications agencies on its defences.
Cybersecurity Europe Technology World