Germany recalls envoy to Russia over cyberattack

The German ambassador to Russia was recalled for consultations on Monday after Berlin accused Moscow of carrying out cyberattacks.

Targets of the campaign included members of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left Social Democrats.

What does the recall mean?

In line with protocol, a spokesperson said, Ambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff is to return to Berlin on a temporary basis.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Lambsdorff had "been called back for consultations and will stay in Berlin for a week and then return to Moscow."

The spokesperson said the decision had come from Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

The German government takes the cyberattack "very seriously," considering it an action "against our liberal democracy," the spokesperson said.

Who is behind the cyberattacks?

A newly concluded government investigation found the cyberattack had been carried out by a group — linked to Moscow's GRU military intelligence agency — known as APT28. The group, also known as Fancy Bear, has been accused of dozens of cyberattacks around the world.

It is believed to have launched the attacks against German targets, which also included defense and aerospace firms, about two years ago.

The APT28 attacks exploited a then-unknown vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook software to compromise email accounts, German authorities say.

The cyber campaign also affected other countries including the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden.

On Monday, the Czech Republic announced it had summoned the Russian ambassador over alleged cyberattacks on its institutions and critical infrastructure. 

"We have called on the Russian Federation to refrain from this behavior, which is contrary to United Nations standards and its own obligations," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on X, formerly Twitter.

Berlin's decision to recall its ambassador comes three days after the German Foreign Office summoned the Russian envoy in protest at the alleged attacks.

Russia has frequently been accused of engaging in hacking and spying activities in Europe, especially since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. There are increased concerns over Russian interference in the run-up to the 2024 European elections in June.

rc/ab (AFP, Reuters)

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