The German government has formally accused Russian military intelligence of orchestrating a sophisticated cyber-attack against the nation’s air traffic control systems while simultaneously conducting a disinformation campaign to undermine its democratic processes. In an unprecedented diplomatic move, German officials summoned the Russian ambassador to address what they term “hybrid actions” requiring substantial countermeasures.
According to a foreign ministry spokesperson, the August 2024 cyber-incident targeting Germany’s aviation infrastructure has been conclusively attributed to the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service. The sophisticated attack, allegedly executed by the notorious hacker collective Fancy Bear, represents one of the most serious digital assaults on critical German infrastructure to date.
Beyond the aviation sector breach, German authorities presented evidence of a coordinated Russian influence operation dubbed “Storm 1516” designed to destabilize both the February federal election and ongoing internal affairs. The campaign specifically targeted leading political figures including Green Party’s Robert Habeck and CDU’s Friedrich Merz, who currently serves as chancellor.
Security agencies identified fabricated videos circulating days before the election that falsely alleged systematic ballot manipulation. These materials formed part of a broader psychological operation intended to erode public trust in Germany’s electoral integrity.
The Fancy Bear group, previously implicated in the World Anti-Doping Agency data breach and the 2016 cyber-attack on the US Democratic National Committee, continues to operate as a persistent threat to Western democracies. German officials emphasized their commitment to coordinated European response measures intended to make Russia “pay a price” for its destabilizing activities.
These allegations emerge amidst escalating concerns across Europe regarding suspected Russian cyber-operations, particularly since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While Moscow has consistently denied previous European allegations of sabotage and hybrid warfare, the current charges represent one of the most specific and well-documented accusations to date.