Breaking: Germany Blames Russia for Cyber-Attack on Air Traffic Control and Meddling in Elections

Berlin — December 12–13, 2025

BERLIN — The German government has formally accused the Russian state and its military intelligence service (GRU) of mounting a cyber-attack on Germany’s air traffic control system and of running a broad disinformation campaign aimed at disrupting democratic processes ahead of key elections. Reuters+1

In a high-stakes diplomatic escalation, Germany summoned the Russian ambassador to protest what it describes as hostile “hybrid actions”, including the August 2024 breach of systems belonging to Deutsche Flugsicherung, the nation’s air traffic control authority. Berlin officials say forensic analysis links the intrusion to APT28 (also known as Fancy Bear) — a hacker group widely associated with GRU operations. Reuters

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Giese told reporters that the alleged campaign went beyond technical sabotage, combining cyberattacks, espionage, and disinformation tactics designed to undermine public trust in democratic institutions and influence the outcome of Germany’s 2025 federal election. Germany has dubbed the online influence operation “Storm-1516,” saying it included deepfakes, fabricated witness testimonies, and pseudo-journalistic content. Reuters+1

The government emphasized that while operational flight safety was not compromised, internal technical systems were disrupted — a fact that raised serious concerns about vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. Berlin also announced that it is coordinating countermeasures with European allies and considering further diplomatic and policy responses. Reuters

Moscow Rejects the Claims
Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechayev, vehemently denied the accusations, calling them “unfounded, unjustified, and absurd,” and framing Berlin’s actions as a politically motivated attempt to inflame tensions and damage bilateral relations. The Russian embassy insisted there is no credible evidence tying Russian state agencies to the air traffic or election interference claims. tass.com

Wider Context
The incident adds to mounting friction between Germany and Russia, which has grown since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. European capitals have reported numerous cyber and hybrid threats attributed to Russian actors in recent years, and Germany’s latest allegations highlight concerns over foreign interference in both national security and democratic processes. Reuters