France has formally accused Russia’s military intelligence agency of carrying out cyberattacks against French institutions, including Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 presidential campaign and organisations linked to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot raised the accusations at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday and urged Moscow to stop the attacks.
“They targeted a dozen French entities – public services, enterprises, sporting organisations linked to the Olympic Games and Paralympics,” Barrot said during a debate on Ukraine.
“We condemn these cyberattacks in the strongest manner. They are unworthy of a permanent member of the Security Council and against frameworks fixed by the United Nations. They must therefore stop immediately.”
Kremlin-linked group
Barrot said the operations were carried out by APT28, a group tied to Russia’s GRU military intelligence service. Also known as Fancy Bear, the group has been linked to cyberattacks in the United States and across Europe.
The French foreign ministry said APT28 has been targeting French networks since at least 2021, with a focus on the defence, financial and economic sectors.
According to France’s national cybersecurity agency ANSSI, the group uses phishing emails, brute-force password attempts and software vulnerabilities to infiltrate systems or steal data.
It has been active since at least 2004 and is believed to operate from Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia.
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Macron campaign targeted
Officials say APT28 was responsible for the 2017 leak of thousands of internal documents from Macron’s presidential campaign. The files were published just before the second round of voting.
“In the midst of the presidential election, APT28 participated in a massive hacking operation” designed to “sow doubt and influence public opinion”, the foreign ministry said in a video shared by Barrot on X.
“Thousands of documents were stolen and disseminated, hoping to manipulate voters, but the manoeuvre failed to really impact the electoral process,” the video said.
Macron went on to defeat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. French officials have since warned of a risk of interference in future votes, including the 2027 presidential election.
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TV channel taken off air
The foreign ministry also said APT28 was behind a 2015 cyberattack on RFI's sister broadcaster TV5 Monde. At the time, the attack was claimed by a group posing as Islamic State militants.
Officials now say it was a Russian operation meant to “manipulate public opinion” and “create a panic in France”.
In the ministry video, the narrator warns: “Remember this name. Behind it is the new face of a silent war waged by Russia against France.”
The video said the group’s goal is to “collect intelligence for the Kremlin and destabilise our societies by sowing distrust”.
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Surge in attacks
ANSSI reported around 4,000 cyberattacks linked to Russia so far in 2024 – a 15 percent rise compared to last year. The most recent incident attributed to APT28 happened in December.
Targets include French ministries, local governments, defence firms, aerospace companies and think tanks.
Several Western intelligence services have also raised concerns.
In September 2024, German authorities warned of Fancy Bear attacks against NATO countries. In May last year, Berlin formally accused APT28 of hacking its ruling party and defence sector.
Poland, which holds a presidential election on 18 May, has warned that Moscow could attempt to interfere through cyberattacks and disinformation.
The French foreign ministry said Ukraine has been one of APT28’s “priorities” since Russia’s 2022 invasion, with the group “exerting constant pressure on Ukrainian infrastructure”.
Diplomatic fallout
Russia’s ambassador to the UN did not respond to the accusations during Tuesday’s Security Council session. The Russian embassy in Paris also declined to comment, Reuters reported.
France is set to sign a “friendship treaty” with Poland on 9 May – the same day Russia celebrates Victory Day with its annual military parade in Moscow. Officials said the treaty reflects closer cooperation between Paris and Warsaw on defence and cybersecurity.
“France is determined to use all the means at its disposal to anticipate Russia’s malicious behaviour in cyberspace, discourage it and respond to it where necessary,” the foreign ministry said.
(with newswires)
