PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: France’s foreign ministry accused Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency of carrying out cyber attacks on several entities.
👥 Who’s Involved: The accusations were directed at GRU unit APT28, reportedly operating out of Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
📍 Where & When: The alleged attacks targeted France, originating from Russia, with instances highlighted since 2015.
💬 Key Quote: “These destabilizing activities are unacceptable and unworthy of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council,” France’s foreign ministry complained.
⚠️ Impact: Cyber attacks on government ministries, defense firms, and other sectors increased by 15 percent from 2023 to 2024, tallying approximately 4,000 incidents attributed to Russian actors.
IN FULL:
France has formally accused Russia’s GRU military intelligence unit of executing a series of cyber attacks targeting French entities. This announcement, made on April 29 by France’s foreign ministry, highlights alleged assaults against government ministries, defense companies, and think tanks.
“These destabilizing activities are unacceptable and unworthy of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council,” France’s foreign ministry complained.
The unit implicated, APT28, is noted for having operations based out of Rostov-on-Don, Russia. This claim marks the first time France publicly ascribed responsibility for certain cyber attacks to Russia.
Records indicate that APT28’s operations in France began as early as 2015. A significant incident cited was the cyber disruption of the TV5 Monde channel. Islamic State operatives initially claimed the attack.
The Russian cyber unit was also linked to incidents during the 2017 French presidential election. These were allegedly aimed at undermining President Emmanuel Macron through the dissemination of leaked and manipulated documents.
The French National Cybersecurity Agency, ANSSI, documented APT28’s alleged efforts to extract strategic intelligence spanning sectors across Europe and North America. Statistics claim that approximately 4,000 cyber attacks were linked to Russian actors in 2024, a 15 percent rise from the previous year.
The accusations from France follow similar allegations of Russia planting incendiary devices on aircraft flying over Europe last year. Germany and Britain reported finding such devices in warehouses belonging to a global courier company.