Germany has accused Russia of a cyber-attack on air site visitors management and tried electoral interference, and summoned the Russian ambassador.
A international ministry spokesman mentioned Russian navy intelligence was behind a “cyber-attack towards German air site visitors management in August 2024”. The spokesman additionally accused Russia of looking for to affect and destabilise the nation’s federal election in February this yr.
The most recent 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, saying their alleged involvement in such incidents was “absurd”.
“The accusations of Russian state constructions’ involvement in these incidents and within the actions of hacker teams normally are baseless, unfounded and absurd,” Russia’s embassy in Berlin mentioned in a press release to AFP information company.
The international ministry in Germany mentioned that Berlin – in shut co-ordination with its European companions – would reply with counter-measures to make Russia “pay a worth for its hybrid actions”.
Within the final yr, each the UK and Romania have accused Russia of meddling of their home affairs, together with concentrating on organisations that ship international help to Ukraine and presidential elections.
The spokesman mentioned the August 2024 cyber-attack on Germany may very well be attributed to the Fancy Bear Russian hacker group.
“Our intelligence findings show that the Russian navy intelligence service GRU bears accountability for this assault,” he added.
The ministry spokesman added it was now sure that Moscow had tried to “affect and destabilise each the final federal election and the continued inside affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany” by means of a disinformation marketing campaign known as Storm 1516.
The marketing campaign, it mentioned, had centered partly on lead Inexperienced Social gathering candidate Robert Habeck and lead CDU candidate Friedrich Merz, who’s now chancellor.
The German authorities mentioned safety companies had recognized pretend movies alleging poll manipulation as a part of a Russian disinformation effort simply days earlier than the election.
Its air navigation service supplier confirmed that its workplace communication had been hacked in August 2024. It mentioned flights had not been affected.
Fancy Bear is claimed to have beforehand leaked World Anti-Doping Company knowledge, and performed a key position within the 2016 cyber-attack on the US Democratic Nationwide Committee, in line with safety specialists.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to a significant deterioration in relations between Berlin and Moscow.
Germany has emerged as one in all Ukraine’s most vocal supporters, offering navy, monetary and diplomatic assist for Kyiv.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has known as strongly for frozen Russian property for use to assist defend Ukraine.
He has additionally repeatedly accused Russia of cyber warfare towards his nation.
However relations have been strained for years, even earlier than the Russian invasion.
In 2019, an ethnic Chechen was killed by a Russian nationwide, Vadim Krasikov, in broad daylight in Berlin’s Tiergarten Park. Germany later expelled two Russian diplomats, as prosecutors suspected that he was performing on the orders of Russia’s state safety company.
Whereas it’s but to reply to the most recent allegations, Moscow has beforehand denied European allegations of a Russian sabotage or hybrid marketing campaign.