Hack Attack on Democracy Group Site Provocative

Toronto, March 26, 2012 - The Canadian Group for Democracy in Ukraine’s Facebook page, along with a dozen or more Ukrainian Facebook pages were hacked on March 25, 2012 after 8 pm by unknown hackers. A message from Walter Derzko’s Facebook account was sent to these groups (including Kyiv Post, Freedom for Yulia Tymoshenko and Ukrainian university student clubs in Toronto) directing readers to various sites on Facebook by Zenovij Andrukhiw, whose group is promoting radical revolt and revolution in Ukraine. Fabricated messages included ‘New Leader of Ukraine” and “New Leader of Ukraine - he will save Tymoshenko”.

“We were expecting these types of provocations from hackers and have instituted steps for damage control,” advises Derzko.

This is a blatant provocation and likely the first of many, warns Derzko. Andrukhiw appeared out of no where in Canada. “He claims he is a lawyer, but he openly flaunts his dual Ukrainian and Canadian passports, which is illegal under the Ukrainian Constitution,” says Derzko.  A Google search shows that he has a checkered legal past in Lviv.

He has appeared on Ukrainian radio and TV in Toronto, recently calling for  conflict and revolution in Ukraine, something which the former Mayor of Lviv, Vasyl Kujbida, warned Ukrainians against on ZIK TV in January. Political experts in Ukraine including Oleh Rybachuk dismiss him, calling him a provocateur. Derzko is giving him the benefit of the doubt: “We do not know who he is… People who know him in Lviv are telling us that he may just be a nave patriotic nationalist or romantic who wants good for Ukraine, but who is being used by either the Ukrainian or Russian secret service or by the Party of Regions, as witnessed by this coordinated ‘special operation’ attacks on Facebook.”

This hacker attack is being reported to the proper authorities in Canada, since it potentially could have ties to government-provoked “red flag” terrorism activities in Ukraine. The worst case scenario is that any innocent person in the West associated with these types of provocations could be tied to future terrorist activities and the consequences could be very serious, wrote Derzko in a commentary article back on September 2, 2010 – “Could Ukrainian Canadians Become Enemy Aliens Again?” See http://www.infoukes.com/newpathway/34-2010-Page-7-2.html