Germany Accuses Russia of Cyber-Attack on Air Traffic Control

Berlin — Germany has formally accused Russia of orchestrating a cyber-attack on its air traffic control system and attempting to interfere in its federal elections, escalating tensions between the two nations amid ongoing concerns about Russian hybrid warfare in Europe.

The German foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador following the accusations, which a ministry spokesman said involved Russian military intelligence targeting air traffic control infrastructure in August 2024. Germany also accused Russia of conducting a disinformation campaign aimed at destabilizing the country's February 2025 federal election.

"Our intelligence findings prove that the Russian military intelligence service GRU bears responsibility for this attack," the spokesman stated, attributing the cyber-attack to the Fancy Bear hacking group.

Russia has categorically denied the allegations. In a statement to AFP news agency, Russia's embassy in Berlin called the accusations "baseless, unfounded and absurd," adding that claims of Russian state involvement in hacker activities were without merit.

Election Interference Allegations

German authorities said Moscow attempted to influence both the recent federal election and ongoing internal affairs through a disinformation operation known as Storm 1516. The campaign reportedly targeted prominent political figures, including lead Green Party candidate Robert Habeck and CDU candidate Friedrich Merz, who is now serving as chancellor.

Security agencies identified fake videos alleging ballot manipulation that surfaced just days before the election as part of the Russian disinformation effort, according to the German government.

Germany's air navigation service provider confirmed the August 2024 breach of its office communications but emphasized that flight operations remained unaffected.

Pattern of Suspected Russian Interference

The accusations represent the latest in a series of European allegations against Russia for cyber-attacks and hybrid operations since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both the United Kingdom and Romania have recently accused Russia of interfering in their domestic affairs, including targeting organizations providing aid to Ukraine and attempting to influence presidential elections.

Fancy Bear, the hacking group implicated in the German attack, has been linked to previous high-profile incidents, including the leak of World Anti-Doping Agency data and the 2016 cyber-attack on the US Democratic National Committee, according to security experts.

Deteriorating Relations

The German foreign ministry announced that Berlin would implement counter-measures in coordination with European partners to ensure Russia "pays a price for its hybrid actions."

Relations between Germany and Russia have deteriorated significantly since the invasion of Ukraine, with Germany emerging as one of Kyiv's strongest supporters, providing substantial military, financial and diplomatic assistance.

Chancellor Merz has advocated for using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's defense and has repeatedly accused Russia of waging cyber warfare against Germany.

Tensions between the two countries predate the Ukraine conflict. In 2019, Germany expelled two Russian diplomats after a Russian national, Vadim Krasikov, killed an ethnic Chechen in Berlin's Tiergarten Park. German prosecutors suspected Krasikov acted on orders from Russia's state security agency.

While Russia has not yet responded to the latest allegations, Moscow has consistently denied previous European accusations of sabotage or hybrid warfare campaigns.