Germany calls in Russian Ambassador over air traffic control hack claims

Germany summoned Russia’s ambassador over alleged cyberattacks on air traffic control and a disinformation campaign ahead of national elections.

Germany summoned Russia’s ambassador after accusing Moscow of cyber attacks against its air traffic control authority and running a disinformation campaign ahead of February’s election.

The German government announced it has clear evidence linking an August 2024 cyberattack on Deutsche Flugsicherung, the country’s air traffic control authority, to the Russia-nexus group APT28 (aka UAC-0001, Fancy Bear, Pawn Storm, Sofacy Group, Sednit, BlueDelta, and STRONTIUM).

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Giese also accused Moscow of attempting to influence and destabilize Germany’s federal election through a disinformation campaign tracked as Storm 1516. Active since at least 2023, the group has previously targeted Ukraine and sought to stir divisions across Europe. Authorities said Storm 1516 has also interfered in elections beyond Germany, including campaigns in the U.S. state of Georgia and other parts of the United States.

“Firstly, a cyberattack against German air traffic control in August 2024 can be clearly attributed to the Russian hacking group “Fancy Bear”. “Our intelligence findings prove that the Russian military intelligence service GRU bears responsibility for this attack,” said the Foreign Ministry spokesperson. “On the other hand, it can now be definitively stated that Russia, through the “Storm 1516” campaign, attempted “to influence and destabilize both the last federal election and the ongoing internal affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany”.”

Germany says Russia’s hybrid threats are increasing, citing cyberattacks, disinformation, and other state-sponsored actions that endanger national security. German intelligence warns these tactics, combining cyber, propaganda, intelligence and economic pressure, threaten public opinion and stability, and says coordinated countermeasures with EU partners are being prepared.

The spokesperson for the German Foreign Office revealed that Russia’s activity “very concretely threaten our security, not only through its war of aggression against Ukraine, but also here in Germany.” He confirmed that the German government, with the support of European partners, would “take a series of countermeasures to make Russia pay for its hybrid actions.”

Russia’s embassy in Berlin has not commented on the latest claims and has previously rejected similar accusations as baseless.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Germany)