The German Bundestag's computer network experienced a widespread outage on the afternoon, but it was not due to a hacker attack. The cause was an overload between the administration's two data centers. Speculation about a Russian assault linked to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit has been dismissed.
On the afternoon of December 15, 2025, the German Bundestag's computer network suffered a nationwide outage. Lawmakers and staff lost access to the internet, intranet, emails, and files. The disruption coincided roughly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Bundestag President Julia Klöckner of the CDU, prompting media speculation about a possible Russian cyberattack.
A letter to lawmakers and party IT officials clarified: «The trigger was an overload situation between the two data centers of the Bundestag administration.» It was described as a purely technical issue, ruling out a cyberattack. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) was involved, and it found no indications of an assault. The precise cause remains under investigation.
This incident echoes a 2015 hack when spyware infected numerous lawmakers' offices, including then-Chancellor Angela Merkel's. It necessitated a complete IT system overhaul. Five years later, Merkel accused Russia of involvement, citing «hard evidence» from the federal prosecutor's investigations.
The recent outage highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in parliamentary IT infrastructure while confirming no external interference occurred.
