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Germany Summons Russian Ambassador, Blames GRU-Linked Groups for Air-Traffic Hack and Election Interference

Berlin says the operations fit a pattern of hybrid tactics intended to erode trust in democratic institutions.

Overview

  • Foreign ministry spokesman Martin Giese said Germany has solid proof and attributed the August 2024 air-navigation breach to GRU-backed APT28, also known as Fancy Bear.
  • Authorities said the Storm-1516 influence operation targeted February’s federal election using deepfakes, pseudo-journalistic sites and fabricated witness statements.
  • Berlin announced EU-coordinated countermeasures, backing new individual sanctions and further steps to curb hybrid actors.
  • The government said EU countries will start monitoring Russian diplomats’ cross-border movements within the Schengen area in January 2026 to reduce intelligence risks.
  • Russia’s embassy, citing Ambassador Sergey Nechayev, rejected the allegations as unfounded and called the summons an unfriendly act.