Story perspectives

CDU Speaker's Signal Account Hacked in Russia-Linked Attack

4/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Julia Kloeckner, parliamentary speaker in Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU party, had her Signal account compromised in a Russia-attributed phishing attack.
The attack is part of a broader wave of phishing targeting Signal users, as warned by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).
The BfV said many Signal groups in parliament may be under surveillance.
The incident underscores cyber threats from Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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Story summary

Julia Kloeckner, parliamentary speaker in Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU party, had her Signal account compromised in a Russia-attributed phishing attack.
The attack is part of a broader wave of phishing targeting Signal users, as warned by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).
The BfV said many Signal groups in parliament may be under surveillance.
The incident underscores cyber threats from Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.