Germany summons Russian ambassador over cyberattack, election disinformation

Germany on Friday summoned Russia’s ambassador after accusing Moscow of carrying out a cyberattack on the country’s air traffic control authority and conducting a disinformation campaign ahead of February’s general election, the Foreign Office said.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Giese told reporters that Berlin had “clear evidence” linking an August 2024 cyberattack on Deutsche Flugsicherung — the state-owned company responsible for German air traffic control — to APT28, or Fancy Bear, a hacking group tied to Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU.

Giese added that Russia had also sought to influence and destabilize the federal election through a disinformation operation known as Storm 1516, a threat actor active since at least 2023 and previously involved in efforts to discredit Ukraine and stir discord across Europe. The group has also targeted elections in the U.S. state of Georgia and elsewhere in the United States.

Russia’s embassy in Berlin has not publicly commented on the latest accusations, but has previously dismissed similar allegations as unfounded.

Giese said Germany would introduce “a series of countermeasures” in coordination with European partners and would support new EU sanctions targeting actors involved in hybrid attacks. He did not specify what steps Berlin is preparing.

Germany and other European governments have repeatedly accused Russia of targeting critical infrastructure, political parties and private-sector companies with cyber operations as part of broader attempts to sow instability in the region.

In May, Berlin recalled its ambassador to Moscow following what it described as Russia-backed intrusions affecting German defense, aerospace and IT firms, as well as the ruling Social Democratic Party.

Earlier this year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that Russia was behind a wave of cyberattacks, sabotage and provocations across the bloc, urging member states to strengthen defenses and attribute hostile activity when appropriate.