On 16 December 2024, TV channel Espresso was again targeted in a cyber attack, in the course of which Russian hackers reportedly attempted to seize control of the its broadcasting in order to broadcast pro-Russian propaganda, the TV channel said in a statement published on its website.
According to the statement, the channel was attacked at 12:50 p.m. local time, when hackers gained unauthorised access to the channel’s server and attempted to broadcast a video clip with a fake speech in Russian by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The content of the clip reportedly echoed Russian disinformation narratives about mobilisation in Ukraine. However, the attack was detected in time, Espreso said, and was promptly neutralised by a switch in the broadcasting signal used by the TV channel. Thanks to this, the channel was able to continue its usual broadcasts without interruption. In reaction to the incident, Espreso noted that its teams were working to strengthen the security of all their technical systems.
Based on the content which hackers attempted to broadcast, the channel concluded that Russian sources were responsible for the attack. Espreso also recalled a previous incident from February 2024 (see separate alert), in which hackers reportedly managed to temporarily seize control of broadcasts and replace these with propaganda, which according to the TV channel also originated in Russian sources.