Russia allegedly persistently launched cyber assaults against us, according to France's claims.
France's foreign ministry has unequivocally placed the blame on Russia's notorious GRU military intelligence agency for a series of cyber attacks on French entities since 2021. The targeted organizations include ministries, defense firms, and think tanks-all in an apparent effort to create chaos and destabilize the nation.
The accusation against the GRU unit APT28 stems from their operations based in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia. While not the first time a Western power has leveled such charges, it's the first instance where Paris has pointed the finger at the Russian state based on its own intelligence findings.
Tracing back to 2015, the station TV5 Monde was taken off-air in a hack claimed by purported Islamic State militants. Since then, APT28 has been implicated in more attacks, including the 2017 presidential election when emails linked to the party and campaign of Emmanuel Macron were leaked alongside disinformation.
According to France's National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI), APT28 has been after strategic intelligence from entities across Europe and North America. The government has decided to speak out explicitly due to the uncertainty in domestic politics and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The Russian embassy in Paris has yet to comment on the accusations. However, ANSSI reports a significant increase in attacks on French ministries, local administrations, defense companies, aerospace firms, think tanks, and entities in the financial and economic sector.
APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, Sednit, or BlueDelta, has been an active cyber espionage group linked to the Russian military intelligence since at least 2004. These agents primarily target government, military, energy, and media organizations. In 2024 alone, Russia was allegedly responsible for more than 4,000 cyberattacks, representing a 15% increase from the previous year.
To counter Russia's malicious activities in cyberspace, France intends to work with its partners to anticipate, deter, and respond to these unacceptable and unworthy actions by a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
- The GRU military intelligence agency, specifically its APT28 unit based in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, has been implicated in a series of cyber attacks on French entities since 2021, according to France's foreign ministry.
- APT28 has been after strategic intelligence from entities across Europe and North America, as indicated by France's National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI), and their operations have expanded to include ministries, local administrations, defense companies, aerospace firms, think tanks, and entities in the financial and economic sector.
- In addition to the cyber attacks, APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, Sednit, or BlueDelta, has been linked to the leaking of Emmanuel Macron's campaign emails and the disinformation campaign during the 2017 French presidential election.
- The Russian embassy in Paris has yet to comment on the accusations of cyberattacks and destabilization efforts against France, but the growing number of attacks points to a significant increase in Russia's malicious activities in cybersecurity and technology spaces.
- To combat this threat, France plans to collaborate with its partners in the general news, crime and justice, and cybersecurity spheres to anticipate, deter, and respond to unacceptable and unworthy actions by a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, as argued by President Macron in war-and-conflicts and politics discussions.
