Germany has officially accused Russia of a serious cyber attack. This attack targeted German air traffic control systems. The German government also says Russia tried to harm its democracy. Russia's ambassador was called to the foreign ministry. Germany presented strong proof. This proof suggests Russian military intelligence did the attacks.
The accusations came out on Wednesday. They describe two types of attacks. The first was a cyber intrusion in August. German spies believe a group called "Fancy Bear" did this. They think this group works for Russia's military intelligence, the GRU. The second attack was a disinformation campaign. It was called "Storm 1516." This campaign tried to hurt Germany's federal election in February 2025.
A spokesperson for Germany's foreign ministry said, "Our findings clearly show the GRU is responsible." This shows how serious the accusations are. Calling the Russian ambassador is a strong diplomatic action. It means Germany is officially protesting.
Russia has strongly denied all charges. The Russian embassy in Berlin said the accusations are "baseless." Russia denies its government was involved. This is similar to how Russia has responded to past accusations.
Relations between Europe and Russia are already bad. They got worse after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. European countries are watching for Russian cyber attacks. They see these as part of Russia's foreign policy. Germany's accusations are like those from London and Bucharest. They also reported GRU cyber activity.
Germany plans to do more than just protest. The government will work with European partners. They will develop "counter-measures." The goal is to make Russia "pay a price." However, the exact actions are not yet known.
This event shows how international relations are changing. Cyber attacks and influence campaigns are a new kind of war. Germany wants a strong European response. This situation makes talks with Moscow even more difficult. The next few weeks will show what Germany and its partners will do.