Russia Under Fire: Germany and Allies Slam Alleged Sweeping Cyberattacks
Germany has accused Russia of orchestrating cyberattacks against its defense and aerospace industries, as well as its ruling party, alongside targets in several other nations. The accusations, also echoed by the Czech Republic, NATO, and the U.S. State Department, have prompted warnings of unspecified consequences. Russia’s embassy in Berlin dismissed the allegations as yet another attempt to stoke anti-Russian sentiment in Germany.
According to NATO, the cyber campaign targeted government bodies, critical infrastructure operators, and various entities in Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden. These accusations come amid heightened tensions in Europe over suspected Russian cyber activities, especially following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and ahead of European elections.
Germany’s government stated that it had summoned Russia’s envoy to protest against a campaign allegedly initiated two years ago by a group linked to Moscow’s GRU military intelligence agency. The attacks reportedly targeted Germany’s governing Social Democrats and companies in logistics, defense, aerospace, and IT sectors. The interior ministry revealed that servers of critical sector companies had been compromised, although specific details regarding the extent of damage and affected companies were not disclosed.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasized that these attacks aimed not only at specific politicians or parties but also at undermining confidence in democracy. Consequently, Germany and its partners vowed not to tolerate such cyber aggression. They declared readiness to employ a full range of measures to prevent, deter, and respond to Russia’s actions in cyberspace.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic reported being targeted by the Russian campaign since the previous year, emphasizing the seriousness of such acts in light of upcoming elections and ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. Britain also accused Russia of undermining democratic processes, although it provided no further specifics.
The cyber campaign allegedly involved a group known as “Fancy Bear” or APT28, which exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook to compromise email accounts. An international operation led by the FBI prevented compromised devices from being misused for further cyber espionage.
According to hacking experts, APT28 has been active worldwide since at least 2004 and is considered one of the most dangerous cyber actors. U.S. intelligence agencies have previously warned about the cyber capabilities of groups controlled by GRU, attributing the hacking of Hillary Clinton’s staff email accounts before the 2016 election to Fancy Bear. In a separate incident in 2016, Russian hackers associated with Fancy Bear were accused of stealing confidential medical information about U.S. Olympic athletes, prompting FBI intervention.
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