Germany accuses Russia of hacking 300 politicians' phones in cyber attacks.

German officials accused Russia on Saturday of being behind cyberattacks targeting members of parliament and senior government officials who use the messaging app Signal.

A government source stated: “The federal government assumes that the phishing campaign targeting the Signal messaging service was most likely operated from Russia.” The source added that the phishing campaign had been stopped.

Cyberattacks

German prosecutors opened an investigation on Friday into the attacks, which allegedly targeted members of parliament from several parties, including the president of the parliament and a prominent member of the Christian Democratic Union party led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Government employees, diplomats, and journalists were also targeted.

Germany, Europe’s largest military supporter of Kyiv, faces a rise in cyberattacks, as well as espionage and sabotage plots since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Moscow denies responsibility for any of these acts.

Sensitive Information

The attacks rely on sending messages to users claiming to be from the Signal app service, asking them to provide sensitive information that is later used to hack accounts and gain access to private chat groups, messages, and photos.

The German government has not yet commented on the number of affected parliament members. According to Der Spiegel magazine, at least 300 accounts of political figures were hacked.

Russia is also accused of carrying out numerous cyberattacks in Western countries.

German officials have been repeatedly targeted, including in 2015 when computers belonging to the Bundestag (parliament) and the office of then-Chancellor Angela Merkel were hacked.

Bundestag

The Bundestag is the German federal parliament, housed in the historic Reichstag building in Berlin. Originally completed in 1894, the building endured the 1933 fire, World War II damage, and division during the Cold War before being fully restored and modernized in the 1990s. Today, its iconic glass dome symbolizes transparency in government and is a popular tourist attraction.

Bundestag

The Bundestag is the German federal parliament, currently housed in the historic Reichstag building in Berlin. Originally completed in 1894, the building served as the seat of the parliament of the

Bundestag

The Bundestag is the German federal parliament, housed in the historic Reichstag building in Berlin. Completed in 1894, the building was heavily damaged during World War II and later restored, with a modern glass dome added in 1999 to symbolize transparency and openness in government. Today, it serves as the seat of Germany’s legislative body and is a popular tourist attraction.

Reichstag building

The Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, is the historic seat of the German parliament (Bundestag). Completed in 1894, it was severely damaged by fire in 1933, an event that the Nazis used to consolidate power, and was further devastated during World War II. After the war, it fell into disuse during the division of Germany, but was famously restored and modernized in the 1990s, including the addition of a striking glass dome symbolizing governmental transparency.