The Kyiv Independent, a Ukrainian English-language news outlet, came under a suspected Russian cyberattack on Nov. 4, after hackers breached its website and newsletter service and sent readers emails containing fake claims about President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The outlet said the content of the fake messages pointed to a Russian operation. Hackers gained access to the website’s content management system and to one of the services used to send newsletters, and posted similar messages on the site that staff deleted immediately.
The first of four emails, sent at 1 a.m. Kyiv time, claimed that “Zelensky launched a nuclear warhead at Kyiv” as “proof of friendship” after a meeting with Putin, and carried the username of an anonymous Telegram channel with mocking messages and threats in Russian about attacking Ukrainians. The email warned recipients to take shelter. Three further emails followed during the afternoon, one in English, containing fake claims about a physical attack on Zelensky.
The attack comes three days after Ukraine’s air raid alert app was hacked, with fake warnings of nuclear, chemical and street fighting threats, including a Russian-language warning that “a nuclear alert is about to go off all across Ukraine” and that an Oreshnik missile was on its way. The false alerts were cleared about an hour later. President Zelensky confirmed in an interview with PBS News on Nov. 2 that the app hack was a Russian cyberattack, saying it was one of hundreds and thousands of cyberattacks Russians had previously made, including on banking systems, pensions, social support and other forms of support for civilians.
Editor-in-chief Olga Rudenko said it was the first attack of its kind against the outlet and that it was being treated very seriously. “Attacks like these are part of the war we cover every day — an attempt to sow confusion and erode trust,” she said.
Chief operating officer Zakhar Protsiuk said the team had been working with cybersecurity specialists since the night of the attack to identify vulnerabilities and protect the outlet’s platforms. “This attack won’t stop us from doing our work,” he said.
The outlet said the bank details of its members and donors were not at risk, because all payment and banking information is handled by secure third-party payment systems. Only a small minority of its audience lives in Ukraine, with most readers based in English-speaking countries such as the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Australia, as well as European countries.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The attack targets a Ukrainian outlet whose reporting on Russia’s war is read mainly outside Ukraine, so the fake claims reach international audiences in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia and Europe.
- It follows the hack of Ukraine’s air raid alert app, which Zelensky described as part of a pattern of Russian cyberattacks on civilian systems, suggesting information infrastructure in Ukraine remains under threat.
- The outlet says the attack is an attempt to erode trust and sow confusion, the same kind of disinformation effect its journalists cover daily.
Background
The Kyiv Independent is an English-language Ukrainian news outlet that has become a widely cited international source on Russia’s war in Ukraine, supported by readers, members and donors. Ukraine’s air raid alert app, which was hacked days before, was developed in collaboration between the Digital Transformation Ministry and security technology company Ajax Systems.
Key Perspectives
- Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief: calls the attack a first for the outlet and says attacks like these are part of the war it covers every day, an attempt to sow confusion and erode trust.
- Zakhar Protsiuk, chief operating officer: says staff worked through the night with cybersecurity specialists to find vulnerabilities, and that the attack will not stop the outlet’s work.
- Volodymyr Zelensky: said the earlier hack of the air raid alert app was a Russian cyberattack, one of hundreds and thousands of such attacks on banking systems, pensions and civilian support services aimed at creating daily chaos in Ukraine.
What to Watch
- Whether the investigation identifies the attackers behind the newsletter breach and whether further fake messages surface.
- Whether similar attacks hit other Ukrainian media or civilian information services, following the pattern of the air raid app hack.
- The outlet’s stated efforts to secure its content management system and newsletter service against future intrusions.
