The French government has accused Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, of conducting a series of cyberattacks on French entities over the past decade.
“France condemns in the strongest terms the use by Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU) of the APT28 attack group, at the origin of several cyberattacks on French interests,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, April 29th.
This marks the first time France has officially attributed these cyberattacks to the GRU. “The GRU has been carrying out cyberattacks against France for several years using a method known as APT28,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a message on X.
APT28 is known for targeting personal email accounts to extract data or gain deeper system access. France says Russian intelligence operations have hit a wide array of French interests, including public services, private enterprises, and key national sectors like defense and finance.
The threat is not limited to France. “APT28 is also being used to exert constant pressure on Ukrainian infrastructure in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” the ministry said. France noted that the group is “targeting our partners,” with German authorities and others warning of the group’s activity against NATO countries.
Poland, another key NATO ally, has raised alarms over potential interference in its presidential election on May 18th, warning of both cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. France and Poland are set to sign a “friendship treaty” on May 9th—coinciding with Russia’s annual Victory Day parade in Moscow.
“Alongside its partners, France is determined to use all the means at its disposal to anticipate Russia’s malicious behavior in cyberspace, discourage it and respond to it where necessary,” the foreign ministry concluded.
