Fake news posted on Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s account on X.com this morning was the result of an attack by hackers, government spokeswoman Lucie Michut Jesatkova confirmed to CTK. The posts reported, for example, an attack on Czech soldiers by the Russian army and retaliation for US tariffs.
A fake post was also published on the account of the Spolu coalition, which is made up of Fiala’s Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and TOP 09.
“Despite all security measures, the prime minister’s profile on the X network was attacked this morning,” Jesatkova said.
After noon, Fiala wrote on the same network that the attack had come from abroad. “We are actively cooperating with the Czech police to investigate this incident and identify the culprits,” he added.
“On the basis of information from the public space, Prague criminal investigators will deal with the case,” the police said, adding that detectives will investigate how the attacker overcame the account’s security and whether posting the fake posts constituted a criminal offence.
ODS spokesman Jakub Skyva added that the accounts had two-factor authentication and other advanced security features. “We responded immediately and we are working with experts to analyse the attack. High security of our channels is a priority for us,” he said.
One of the posts, made before 6 am, reported an attack by Russian forces “on Czech troops near the Kaliningrad border”. Jesatkova confirmed this was not true.
Two other posts on Fiala’s account from this morning wrote in Czech and English about the preparation of sanctions in response to US tariffs. A few dozen minutes after publication, these posts and the information about the attack on the soldiers disappeared.
The posts were written with correct spelling and no obvious errors. Unusually, however, compared to the other posts on Fiala’s account, all of them contained live video, though each contained only a still image with no soundtrack.
According to Vitezslav Pelc of the security firm Eset, hacking the account of any head of state is a serious security incident that could have not only reputational implications but also geopolitical consequences. “Attacking a politician’s account is not just a technical error – it is a strategic opportunity for attackers,” he told CTK. “That’s why the accounts of politicians and their teams should be managed as rigorously as the critical government infrastructure. It is not for us to judge the content or the behaviour and performance of politicians on social media.”
He said attacks most often occurred because of weak or repeatedly used passwords, a lack of two-factor authentication, phishing, access via a compromised mobile or computer, or sharing access within a team without sufficient security.
In 2023, for example, the websites of the Office of the Government and other state institutions were targeted by hackers. Last year, hackers attacked the websites of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
