This post is also available in:
עברית (Hebrew)
A coordinated wave of cyberattacks hit several Ukrainian government websites earlier this week, hours before President Volodymyr Zelensky’s scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington. The attacks, claimed by the pro-Russian hacktivist group NoName, disrupted the websites of nearly a dozen Ukrainian agencies through distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
The targets included key parliamentary committees, such as those responsible for national security, legal policy, law enforcement, and infrastructure, as well as municipal services in Kyiv. Among the most high-profile victims was Ferrexpo, one of Ukraine’s largest industrial firms and a major exporter of iron ore to European markets, according to Cybernews.
DDoS attacks function by overwhelming a target server with excessive traffic, rendering services temporarily inaccessible. While these attacks rarely cause permanent damage, they can significantly hinder government operations, particularly during sensitive diplomatic events.
NoName publicized the attacks via Telegram, releasing links to monitoring tools intended to verify the disruptions. The group, known for aligning with Russian interests since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, regularly uses Telegram channels to coordinate operations, share outcomes, and publish ideological messages.
This latest operation appears to be strategically timed. In addition to the attacks in Ukraine, the group also claimed responsibility for disruptions in Brussels—specifically against institutions connected to social policy and research—following a meeting between Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Although NoName does not typically cause long-term infrastructure damage, its campaigns have been consistent and widespread. According to Radware, a cybersecurity research firm, the group was behind over 1,100 DDoS attacks in the first half of 2023 alone, spanning 32 countries. Their past targets have included banking systems, transport hubs, and parliamentary websites across NATO-aligned nations.
The group’s persistent activity underscores ongoing challenges for national cyber defense, particularly when state-aligned actors leverage publicly organized campaigns to interfere with diplomatic and political events.
