2024-05-07 07:41:08
German Ambassador to Russia Alexander Graf Lambsdorff was recalled for consultations after Berlin accused Moscow of conducting cyberattacks against defense and aircraft companies as well as the ruling Social Democratic Party, a spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry said today, quoted by Reuters and BTA .
According to the spokeswoman, the ambassador will travel to Berlin in accordance with diplomatic protocol.
“He was recalled for consultations and will stay for a week in Berlin, and then return to Moscow,” she added, quoted by TASS.
It comes three days after Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Germany was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to protest the campaign, which Berlin believes was launched by a hacking group linked to Russia’s General Intelligence Directorate (GRU).
TASS recalls that last week German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock said that the German government holds Russia responsible for hacking the emails of high-ranking officials of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in 2023. Russian authorities have repeatedly rejected accusations of involvement in hacking attacks.
The accusations come amid concerns in Europe about possible Russian hackers and spies since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2024. Those concerns have intensified as European Parliament elections approach in early June, Reuters noted.