Germany Accuses Russia of Cyber-Attack on Air Traffic Control and Election Interference

Germany has accused Russia of carrying out a cyber-attack on its air traffic control systems and attempting to interfere in the country’s federal elections, prompting Berlin to summon the Russian ambassador. A German foreign ministry spokesman said Russian military intelligence was responsible for hacking office communications at Germany’s air navigation service provider in August 2024, while also running a disinformation campaign aimed at destabilising domestic politics ahead of the February elections.

According to German authorities, the attack has been linked to the Russian hacker group Fancy Bear, which is believed to operate under the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service. Officials said intelligence findings confirmed GRU responsibility and accused Moscow of spreading fake videos alleging ballot manipulation, targeting senior political figures including Green Party leader Robert Habeck and CDU leader Friedrich Merz, now Germany’s chancellor. While the cyber-attack did not disrupt flights, Berlin said it was part of a broader effort to undermine democratic processes.

Russia has firmly denied the allegations, calling them baseless and “absurd”. However, Germany said it would coordinate with European partners to impose counter-measures and make Russia “pay a price” for what it described as hybrid warfare. The accusations come amid growing concern across Europe over suspected Russian cyber and disinformation campaigns since the invasion of Ukraine, which has significantly worsened relations between Berlin and Moscow.

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