Germany has accused Russia of a cyber-attack on air traffic control and attempted electoral interference, summoning the Russian ambassador for discussions. A foreign ministry spokesman asserted that Russian military intelligence was behind a cyber-attack against German air traffic control in August 2024. Additionally, Germany accused Russia of trying to influence and destabilize its federal elections scheduled for February this year.
The allegations add to existing European concerns about Russian cyber activities, particularly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia has vehemently denied these claims, labeling them as absurd, and stated that any alleged involvement of Russian entities in such incidents is unfounded.
The German foreign ministry’s statement emphasized that Berlin, in close cooperation with its European allies, will respond with measures aimed at holding Russia accountable for its hybrid actions. Last year, the UK and Romania also accused Russia of interference in their domestic affairs, highlighting a pattern of Russian cyber operations across Europe.
Germany reported that the August 2024 attack may have been carried out by the notorious Fancy Bear hacker group. Our intelligence findings prove that the Russian military intelligence service GRU bears responsibility for this attack, the spokesman asserted.
Furthermore, evidence suggests that Moscow attempted to destabilize Germany's last federal election through a disinformation campaign targeted at key political figures. Security agencies identified fake videos that alleged ballot manipulation, likely part of this campaign, just days ahead of the elections. Although the air navigation service confirmed that its communications were hacked, it stated that flight operations were not disrupted.
The Fancy Bear group is infamous for its previous cyber activities, including leaking data from the World Anti-Doping Agency and significantly influencing the 2016 cyber-attack on the US Democratic National Committee, according to cybersecurity experts.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has strained relations between Germany and Russia, with Germany positioning itself as a strong supporter of Ukraine, providing military, financial, and diplomatic assistance. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been vocal regarding the use of frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine, continually accusing Russia of engaging in cyber warfare against Germany.
This tension has historical roots, with incidences of conflict between German and Russian interests predating the current conflicts. Notably, a controversial assassination linked to Russian operatives in Berlin in 2019 led to diplomatic fallout, illustrating the complexity and fragility of their relationship.
