After cyber attack

Germany recalls ambassador from Russia

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (archive photo) is brought to Berlin for talks.

(Bild: AFP/APA/Ina Fassbender)

Following the attack by a Russian military intelligence hacker group on targets in Germany, the German government has responded by recalling the ambassador to Berlin for consultations.

The decision to bring the diplomat Alexander Graf Lambsdorff to the capital was announced by a spokeswoman for the Federal Foreign Office on Monday. "This is a standard procedure after similar events as we have experienced," she explained. The ambassador is to stay in Berlin for a week and then return to his post in Russia.

APT28 hacker group under suspicion
The reason for the measure is the cyberattacks against the government, political parties and companies in Germany, for which the Russian hacker group APT28 is held responsible. It is attributed to the Russian secret service GRU. "The German government takes this event very seriously as behavior against our liberal democracy and the institutions that support it," said the Foreign Office spokeswoman. Russia denies being involved in the attacks.

Also attacks against Poland and the Czech Republic
In addition to the SPD and CDU parties, the large-scale cyber attacks also affected government agencies and companies from the logistics, armaments, aerospace and IT sectors. Foundations and associations were also affected. There were similar attacks in the Czech Republic and Poland. All three countries are among the biggest European supporters of Ukraine, against which Russia has been waging a war of aggression for more than 800 days.