The French government strongly condemned on Tuesday the involvement of Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU) in a series of cyberattacks against French interests, officially attributing responsibility to the group APT28, also known as “Fancy Bear”.
According to French authorities, APT28 has been used by Russia since 2021 to target or compromise about a dozen French entities — including public services, private companies, and a sports organization involved in the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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The group has a history of illicit activity, including the sabotage of the TV5Monde broadcasting station in 2015 and attempts to destabilize the French elections in 2017. More recently, APT28 has also been used to apply continuous pressure on Ukrainian infrastructure during the ongoing war in Ukraine, particularly through GRU Unit 20728.
Several of France’s European partners have also been targeted by similar cyberattacks in recent years. In response, the European Union has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities linked to operations carried out with the support of APT28.
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“These destabilizing activities are unacceptable and unworthy of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council,” stated the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasizing that these actions violate international norms for responsible state behavior in cyberspace — norms that Russia itself has committed to.
Together with its international partners, France reaffirmed its determination to use all means available to anticipate, deter, and respond to Russia’s malicious behavior in cyberspace.
France’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) today published a detailed technical report on the threat posed by the APT28 group, with the goal of preventing future attacks. The document is available on the official website.
Source: France Diplomacy. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
