Germany has accused Russia of a cyber-attack on air traffic control and attempted electoral interference, and summoned the Russian ambassador.
A foreign ministry spokesman stated that Russian military intelligence was behind a cyber-attack against German air traffic control in August 2024. The spokesperson also accused Russia of seeking to influence and destabilize the country's federal election in February this year.
The latest accusations come amid heightened concern in Europe over suspected Russian cyber-attacks since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia has categorically rejected the claims, asserting that their alleged involvement was absurd. The Russian embassy in Berlin denounced the accusations as baseless and unfounded.
The foreign ministry in Germany announced that Berlin, in coordination with European partners, would respond with counter-measures to hold Russia accountable for its actions.
Over the past year, both the UK and Romania have accused Russia of interfering in their domestic matters, including targeting organizations providing assistance to Ukraine and conducting elections.
Germany's foreign ministry attributed the August 2024 cyber-attack to the Fancy Bear Russian hacker group. A ministry spokesperson noted, Our intelligence findings prove that the Russian military intelligence service GRU bears responsibility for this attack. They added that Moscow had attempted to influence and destabilize both the last federal election and ongoing affairs in Germany through a disinformation campaign dubbed Storm 1516.
This campaign reportedly targeted leading political figures, and German security agencies noted a spike in fake videos alleging electoral fraud just before elections.
Germany's air navigation service confirmed hacking of its communications office in August 2024, although flights were not affected.
Fancy Bear has been previously linked to significant cyber incidents, including the leak of World Anti-Doping Agency data and the 2016 breach of the US Democratic National Committee.
Relations between Germany and Russia have deteriorated significantly since the start of the Ukraine conflict. Germany has positioned itself as a staunch supporter of Ukraine, offering military and financial aid. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has advocated for using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine while accusing Russia of engaging in cyber warfare against Germany.
The tense relationship dates back years, including a notable incident in 2019 involving the assassination of an ethnic Chechen in Berlin, which led to Germany expelling Russian diplomats. Despite the new allegations, Moscow has consistently denied European accusations of cyber sabotage and hybrid campaigns.
