NATO and EU Consider Coordinated Response to Russia’s Cyberattacks Against Germany and Czech Republic

NATO and EU have expressed solidarity with Germany and the Czech Republic in connection with cyber attacks carried out by a Russian hacker group and are considering a coordinated response to the threat.

Both NATO and EU blame the malicious cyberattacks on Advanced Persistent Threat Actor 28 (APT28), which is sponsored by the Russian Federation. State institutions, agencies, and entities in the Member States, including Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Sweden have been targeted by the same threat actor before.

“The malicious cyber campaign shows Russia’s continuous pattern of irresponsible behavior in cyberspace, by targeting democratic institutions, government entities, and critical infrastructure providers across the European Union and beyond,” said Josep Borrell, the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief, in a statement on Friday, May 3, on behalf of the 27 member states.

Josep Borrell added, referring to the June elections to the European Parliament: “The EU will not tolerate such malicious behavior, particularly activities that aim to degrade our critical infrastructure, weaken societal cohesion, and influence democratic processes.”

The EU and NATO ARE determined to make use of the full spectrum of measures to prevent, deter, and respond to Russia’s malicious behavior in cyberspace.

In April 2024, Belgium and the Czech Republic urged the European Union to implement sanctions to combat Russian interference in the upcoming European elections. This call to action followed the revelation of early interference in several member states.