France summons Russian envoy over alleged cyber activities

France on Friday summoned the acting charge d'affaires of the Russian Embassy in Paris to condemn what it described as Russian cyber activities targeting France, the French Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian diplomat was received by the director for continental Europe at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, according to a statement.

According to the ministry, the summons was intended to convey France's "strongest condemnation" of what it described as "malicious" cyber activities carried out by Russia, particularly operations allegedly conducted by the 16th Center of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

Paris said the alleged cyber activities had also targeted a number of its European partners, calling them "unacceptable" and "unworthy of a permanent member of the UN Security Council."

The Russian diplomat was informed that France, together with its partners and in accordance with international law, remains determined to use all means at its disposal to anticipate, deter and respond to what it described as destabilizing actions directed against the country, the ministry added.