France Publicly Accuses Russia of Coordinated Cyberattacks on National Institutions

For the first time, France has officially accused Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, of orchestrating a sustained series of cyberattacks targeting French institutions, including government ministries, defense contractors, and think tanks. 

The Gaze reports on this with reference to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a statement issued on April 29, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot directly named the hacking group APT28 – also known as Fancy Bear – as responsible for the attacks. The group, believed to operate under the command of the GRU, is well-known for its involvement in cyber-espionage and information warfare across Europe.

“Over the past several years, Russian military intelligence has consistently targeted France through cyber operations led by APT28,” Barrot stated. “Since 2021, nearly ten French entities – including government agencies, private enterprises, and a sports organization tied to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games – have been affected.”

The French Foreign Ministry highlighted that APT28 was behind the 2015 cyber sabotage of the French television network TV5Monde and the 2017 phishing campaign targeting Emmanuel Macron’s presidential campaign. Both incidents had significant repercussions and marked early signs of Russia’s evolving cyber strategy.

The Ministry further emphasized that APT28 has played an active role in cyberattacks against Ukraine as part of Russia’s broader war effort, while also threatening various EU partners. In response to such malicious behavior, the European Union has already imposed sanctions on individuals and entities connected to APT28’s operations.

“These destabilizing actions are unacceptable and incompatible with the responsibilities of a permanent member of the UN Security Council,” the statement reads. “They also violate international norms on state conduct in cyberspace – norms that Russia has itself endorsed.”

France reaffirmed its commitment to working with international partners to anticipate, block, and respond to future Russian cyber operations. The government stressed that cybersecurity remains a key pillar of national and European defense, especially in light of growing hybrid threats.

This marks a turning point in France’s public attribution policy and signals a more assertive stance in confronting state-backed cyber aggression.

As The Gaze reported earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged that Ukraine’s allies will increase their efforts to exert pressure on Russia in the coming days to push for a ceasefire in the ongoing war.