France has formally accused Russia’s military intelligence agency of carrying out cyberattacks against French institutions, including Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 presidential campaign and organisations linked to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot raised the accusations at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday and urged Moscow to stop the attacks.
“They targeted a dozen French entities – public services, enterprises, sporting organisations linked to the Olympic Games and Paralympics,” Barrot said during a debate on Ukraine.
“We condemn these cyberattacks in the strongest manner. They are unworthy of a permanent member of the Security Council and against frameworks fixed by the United Nations. They must therefore stop immediately.”
Kremlin-linked group
Barrot said the operations were carried out by APT28, a group tied to Russia’s GRU military intelligence service. Also known as Fancy Bear, the group has been linked to cyberattacks in the United States and across Europe.
The French foreign ministry said APT28 has been targeting French networks since at least 2021, with a focus on the defence, financial and economic sectors.
According to France’s national cybersecurity agency ANSSI, the group uses phishing emails, brute-force password attempts and software vulnerabilities to infiltrate systems or steal data.
It has been active since at least 2004 and is believed to operate from Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia.
(with newswires)
Read more on RFI English
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