Finance
German Government Suspects Russia of Signal Attack Targeting Politicians, Sources Say
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 25, 2026
1 min readLast updated: April 25, 2026
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Quick Summary
Germany suspects that Russia is behind a phishing campaign via the Signal messaging app that targeted high‑profile politicians, diplomats, military officials and journalists. The campaign, likely state‑sponsored, is being investigated by federal prosecutors and spurred warnings from BfV and BSI.
German Government Suspects Russian Signal Phishing Targeting Officials
Suspected Russian Phishing Attacks on German Officials
Overview of the Phishing Threat
BERLIN, April 25 (Reuters) - The German government believes that Russia could be responsible for phishing attacks targeting high-profile politicians, diplomats, military officers and journalists, government sources told Reuters on Saturday.
Warnings from German Intelligence and Cybersecurity Agencies
Germany's domestic intelligence service BfV and its cybersecurity office BSI have warned this year of attacks on users of messaging apps, likely carried out by a state-sponsored actor.
Federal Prosecutors' Investigation into Signal Attacks
German federal prosecutors said on Friday they had been investigating phishing attacks on the Signal messaging app since mid-April, declining to give further details.
Moscow's Response to Hacking Allegations
Moscow has repeatedly denied it engages in hacking operations against other countries.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, writing by Maria Martinez; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Barbara Lewis)
Key Takeaways
- •Germany’s domestic intelligence (BfV) and cybersecurity agency (BSI) warned in early February 2026 of state‑sponsored phishing targeting Signal users, including senior officials and journalists (cyberwarzone.com).
- •German federal prosecutors launched an espionage investigation as early as mid‑February, following detected phishing attacks against Signal accounts of Bundestag President Julia Klöckner—and attempted targeting of Chancellor Merz—and more than 300 officials may have been affected (krro.com).
- •Evidence indicates Russia is the likely sponsor—this aligns with Dutch intelligence attribution, U.S. FBI warnings of similar global phishing campaigns, and historical precedent of Russian state cyber operations (mezha.net).
References
Frequently Asked Questions about German government suspects Russia of Signal attack targeting politicians, sources say
1Who is suspected of being behind the Signal phishing attacks in Germany?
German government sources suggest Russia may be responsible for the phishing attacks targeting politicians.
2Which groups were reportedly targeted by the phishing attacks?
High-profile politicians, diplomats, military officers, and journalists were targeted.
3Which German agencies have warned about these attacks?
Germany's domestic intelligence service BfV and cybersecurity office BSI have both issued warnings.
4Since when have federal prosecutors been investigating the attacks?
Federal prosecutors have been investigating the Signal phishing attacks since mid-April.
5How has Russia responded to the hacking allegations?
Moscow has repeatedly denied engaging in hacking operations against other countries.
