Paris summons the Russian ambassador after FSB cyberattacks in Europe

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Monday that he had summoned the Russian ambassador to France, accusing Moscow of orchestrating a vast campaign of cyber sabotage and espionage targeting around ten European countries. Coordinated sanctions between France, the European Union, and the United Kingdom were announced simultaneously.

Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Monday, July 13, on BFMTV/RMC that he would summon the Russian ambassador to demand explanations regarding what he described as a "vast cyber campaign" conducted for the purposes of sabotage and espionage. France will also impose sanctions on nine individuals and four entities "responsible for this cyberattack campaign, orchestrated by the FSB security service," he specified.

Targets include government ministries, businesses, and service providers. According to the minister, the objective was "either to gather information or to sabotage operations, such as railway infrastructure, as was the case in Poland." France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, and Finland are among the countries affected.

Barrot indicated that France was able to detect these intrusions thanks to a "considerable" strengthening of its defenses against cyberattacks.

The European Union and the United Kingdom have jointly announced sanctions against Russia, which they accuse of seeking to "sow chaos and division in Europe." The EU targeted the 16th FSB center, whose activities reportedly date back to 2010 and have allegedly targeted governments as well as critical infrastructure such as thermal and electrical power plants. The European sanctions primarily take the form of asset freezes and travel bans. London, for its part, has sanctioned 24 individuals and entities.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated that the individuals targeted "contribute to Russia's efforts to destabilize the EU, its member states, and its international partners." She added that the FSB "controls various groups responsible for cyber threats" and conducts "a wide range of increasingly serious cybercrime activities."

The British government, for its part, believes that Russian intelligence services "have tasked cybercriminals with collecting intelligence to support Russia's military and foreign policy objectives, thereby threatening security across Europe."