Germany has accused Russia’s GRU military intelligence of conducting cyberattacks against NATO and EU countries, according to a warning issued by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) on Monday.
The BfV specifically pointed to GRU’s Unit 29155, which is notorious for its global espionage and sabotage activities.
The BfV stated that Unit 29155 was responsible for the January 2022 cyberattacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, carried out just before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February that year.
Since then, the GRU unit has reportedly focused on spying and disrupting international aid to Ukraine.
The cyber campaign targeting Ukraine, known as WhisperGate, has drawn widespread condemnation.
Last week, the U.S. charged five members of a subgroup within Unit 29155, along with a civilian, over the campaign. WhisperGate malware, disguised as ransomware, was designed to cripple Ukraine’s government and critical infrastructure, aiming to destroy computer systems across sectors such as finance, healthcare, and emergency services.
Germany’s intelligence agency has joined forces with over a dozen Western law enforcement agencies, including those from the U.S. and Ukraine, to expose GRU’s cyber activities dating back to at least 2020.
This summer, Germany also accused Russia of state-sponsored cyberattacks targeting its ruling party, as well as key sectors like IT, logistics, and aerospace, underscoring the growing cyber threat posed by Russian intelligence.
