On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, France made a strong statement against Russia. The French government said Russian military intelligence is behind many cyberattacks on France. These attacks happened over the last 10 years. One of the targets was a group working for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Another major target was Emmanuel Macron’s presidential campaign in 2017.
The French Foreign Ministry said that since 2021, a Russian group has attacked around 12 French organisations. These include companies in the defence, finance, and economic sectors. The group behind these attacks is linked to the Russian GRU. The GRU is Russia’s military intelligence agency.
The French Foreign Ministry gave a strong warning. It said Russia’s GRU used a group called APT28 to carry out cyberattacks. This group is also known as “Fancy Bear.” It has done cyberattacks in many countries before. It became famous in 2016 when it hacked emails from the U.S.
Democratic Party during the presidential election. Many said it tried to help Donald Trump win by leaking emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted a message on X (formerly Twitter). He officially blamed the GRU and APT28 for these cyberattacks. This was the first time France made such an official statement. Barrot also shared a video. In the video, the Foreign Ministry explained how the attacks happened.
The video said APT28 hacked Macron’s campaign in 2017. The group leaked thousands of documents just one day before the final vote. The goal was to confuse people and influence how they voted. But the plan did not work. Macron still won easily against far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
The French government is also worried about future elections. President Macron cannot run again in 2027 because of term limits. Officials fear that Russia may try again to interfere, especially since the far right is expected to do well in that election.
The cyberattacks did not stop in 2017. The video said that since 2021, APT28 has attacked many French organisations. These include public services, private companies, and even a sports group linked to the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. The French Foreign Ministry also said media companies are among the group’s favourite targets.
APT28 has done this before. In 2015, the group hacked the French TV channel TV5 Monde. They pretended to be Islamic State militants. The goal was to scare people and cause panic in France. At that time, France had already suffered from real terrorist attacks, including the Bataclan attack and the stadium bombing in 2015.
APT28 is not only targeting France. Intelligence agencies in other countries are also watching the group. In September 2024, Germany and other NATO members warned about more attacks. These attacks are aimed at NATO countries and Ukraine. The French Foreign Ministry said APT28 is used by Russia to put pressure on Ukraine. The cyberattacks are part of Russia’s war on Ukraine, which started in February 2022.
Poland also raised concerns. It said Russia might try to interfere with its presidential election on May 18, 2025. This could include hacking and spreading false information. Poland strongly supports Ukraine in the war.
France and Poland are planning to sign a friendship treaty on May 9, 2025. This will happen on the same day Russia celebrates Victory Day, marking the end of World War II. On that day, President Vladimir Putin will lead a big parade in Moscow.
France said it will work with its allies to fight back. The Foreign Ministry said it will do everything it can to stop Russia’s actions in cyberspace. It will try to stop future attacks, discourage Russia, and respond if needed.
