Germany, Czech Republic accuse Russia of cyberattacks

Germany and the Czech Republic have accused Russia of orchestrating a series of recent cyberattacks, escalating tensions between Moscow and the West. The European Union issued a stern warning to Russia, condemning its “malicious behavior in cyberspace.”

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock revealed the findings of a government investigation, attributing a cyberattack on members of the Social Democratic Party to a group known as APT28, which she stated is controlled by Russia’s military intelligence service. Baerbock emphasized the gravity of the situation, labeling it as a state-sponsored Russian cyberattack on Germany.

The cyber espionage group APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, has been implicated in numerous cyber intrusions worldwide. However, Russia has consistently denied any involvement in such activities. The cyber assault on the Social Democratic Party, which targeted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party, was disclosed last year, with hackers exploiting a vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook to compromise email accounts.

Germany summoned the acting charge d’affaires of the Russian embassy over the incident, prompting a swift denial from Moscow, dismissing the accusations as groundless. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser revealed that the cyber campaign, attributed to Russia’s military intelligence service GRU, commenced in 2022 and also targeted German arms and aerospace companies.

Czech government officials echoed Germany’s concerns, stating that some of their state institutions were also victims of cyberattacks attributed to APT28, utilizing similar tactics to exploit vulnerabilities in Microsoft Outlook. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan emphasized the persistent threat posed by Russia, describing the Czech Republic as a target perceived by Moscow as an enemy state.

The European Union condemned Russia’s cyber aggression, emphasizing its continuous pattern of targeting democratic institutions, government entities, and critical infrastructure providers across the EU and beyond. The EU pledged to employ a comprehensive range of measures to counter Russia’s malicious behavior in cyberspace, citing previous cyber intrusions in member states including Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Sweden.

The accusations coincide with NATO’s expression of deep concern over Russia’s hybrid actions, including disinformation, sabotage, and cyber interference. With European Parliament elections looming, concerns about foreign meddling are heightened, prompting Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky to underscore the importance of publicly attributing cyberattacks as a tool to safeguard national interests.