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Germany accuses Russia
Germany summoned Russia's ambassador on Dec. 12 after publicly accusing Moscow of conducting two linked hybrid operations.
“Germany has accused Russia of carrying out “hybrid attacks” and said it will coordinate countermeasures with EU partners and back new individual EU‑level sanctions.”
One was an August 2024 cyber-breach of German air-traffic control attributed to the GRU-linked hacker group APT28 (aka Fancy Bear).
The other was a coordinated disinformation campaign dubbed Storm 1516 that Berlin says tried to influence and destabilise the February federal election.
German officials said they would coordinate countermeasures with EU partners and support new individual EU-level sanctions in response.
The move follows mounting European concern about alleged Russian espionage, drone flights near airports, sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation.
Attribution of August breach
German officials attributed the August 2024 breach to APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, and to Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU, a characterization echoed across outlets that cited Foreign Office statements and intelligence assessments.
Spokespeople emphasized confidence in the attribution, with Berlin saying there was "clear evidence" linking the attack to APT28 and German security services describing the findings as the "hallmarks" of GRU activity.
At the same time, German authorities declined to publish technical details of the intrusion, saying operational sensitivities and concerns about protecting intelligence limit what they can disclose.
Storm 1516 disinformation campaign
Berlin outlined the alleged phasing and content of the 'Storm 1516' campaign.
“Germany says the August 2024 breach of air navigation office communications was traced to Fancy Bear, a hacking group linked to Russia’s GRU; flight operations were not affected.”
Officials say the campaign used deepfakes, manipulated videos and pseudo-investigative material to target senior politicians and to spread false claims about ballot manipulation and other electoral malpractices.
Reporting across outlets identifies lead Green candidate Robert Habeck and CDU lead candidate, and now chancellor, Friedrich Merz among the specific targets, and notes German fact-checkers debunked several of the claims.
EU countermeasures and context
Berlin announced a package of coordinated countermeasures with EU partners, including backing targeted sanctions, stepping up intelligence sharing and considering tighter monitoring of Russian diplomatic movements in the Schengen area.
Several outlets linked the announcement to broader EU moves, including discussions over how to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
Outlets also noted that officials declined to provide operational cyber-technical details to protect intelligence methods.
Coverage of Moscow response
Moscow's immediate public response was mixed in the reporting: several outlets quoted the Russian embassy in Berlin dismissing the allegations as 'baseless, unfounded and absurd,' while others reported no immediate comment.
“Russia’s embassy in Berlin denied the allegations as “baseless, unfounded and absurd.””
Coverage differs on tone and emphasis — some pieces stress Moscow's categorical denials, others highlight European alarm and the potential implications for Germany-Russia diplomatic ties and Western support for Ukraine.
