Germany accuses Russia of a cyberattack and a disinformation campaign, sparking a diplomatic crisis

BarcelonaThe German government summoned the Russian ambassador to Berlin, Sergei Nechayev, on Friday after receiving a report from intelligence services attributing to Russia responsibility for a cyberattack against air traffic control in Germany in August 2024 and a disinformation campaign just before the general elections last February. "Russia poses a very concrete threat to our security," a Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated. According to German media reports, intelligence services attributed the cyberattack against the air traffic control authority last summer to a Russian hacking group called Fancy Bear. "Our intelligence findings show that the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU, is responsible for this attack," the spokesperson said. Furthermore, Berlin asserts that it has been confirmed that Moscow, through the propaganda group Storm 1516, attempted to create and disseminate false information online to promote Kremlin interests. Two days before the February federal elections, the government said that security agencies had identified fake videos alleging election manipulation as part of a Russian disinformation effort.