Support The Moscow Times!

Germany Accuses Russia’s GRU Military Intelligence of Cyberattacks on NATO, EU

KeepCoding / unsplash

German authorities warned Monday that a notorious Russian military intelligence unit carried out cyberattacks against targets in Europe and around the world.

The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said unit 29155 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) “carried out cyberattacks and other reconnaissance activities against targets in NATO and EU countries.”

According to the BfV, unit 29155 was behind January 2022 cyberattacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine ahead of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of that same year.

Last week, the United States charged five members of a subset of unit 29155 and one civilian over the cyber campaign against Ukraine known as WhisperGate, which targeted dozens of Ukrainian government computer systems.

The FBI said WhisperGate malware was intended to cripple Ukraine’s government and critical infrastructure by targeting financial systems, agriculture, emergency services, healthcare and schools. The U.S. Justice Department said WhisperGate was designed to look like ransomware but was really a “cyberweapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data.”

Germany’s BfV said that since 2022, unit 29155 has primarily aimed to spy on and disrupt aid to Ukraine. Germany's intelligence agency joined over a dozen Western law enforcement agencies, including those from the U.S. and Ukraine, in highlighting the GRU’s global espionage and sabotage activities dating back to at least 2020.

Earlier this summer, Germany accused Russia of state-sponsored cyberattacks targeting its ruling party — as well as German IT, logistics and aerospace companies — in state-sponsored cyberattacks that involved stealing and publishing sensitive data.

AFP contributed reporting

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more