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For the first time, France has publicly and officially blamed the Russian GRU intelligence service for a wave of cyberattacks. According to a statement by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hackers from the APT28 group, also known as Fancy Bear, organised a series of attacks on French ministries, defence companies and think tanks. This was reported by Reuters.
“Since 2021, these attacks have affected more than a dozen French structures. Their goal is to destabilise the state,” the official statement said.
APT28, which, according to intelligence, is based in Rostov-on-Don, has been repeatedly mentioned in Western reports as an instrument of the Kremlin’s hybrid aggression. But this is the first time France has directly accused Russia of such actions.
Other countries are also sounding the alarm:
- Finland records GPS interference, sabotage and “instrumentalised migration”;
- In May 2024,Germany recalled its ambassador from Moscow after attacks on defence companies and the ruling party;
- The Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden also fell victim to the cyber campaign.
According to the German authorities, the attackers exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook to gain access to government and military emails.
The cyber war in Europe continues. And behind every attack is a familiar shadow – the Kremlin.
