Germany recalls its ambassador in Moscow after alleged Russian cyberattacks

BERLIN

Germany has called its ambassador to Russia back to Berlin for consultations after alleged Russian cyberattacks targeted German politicians, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.


“The government takes this issue very seriously, and we believe that this is an attack against our liberal democracy,” deputy Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer told a news conference in Berlin.


She said Ambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff was asked to return to Berlin for consultations after a government investigation concluded that the Russian APT28 group was behind cyberattacks that targeted co-ruling Social Democrats.


“He has been called back for consultations, and he will stay in Berlin for a week, and then he will return to Moscow,” Deschauer told reporters.

Last week, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said “Russian state hackers” were behind cyberattacks targeting German politicians and institutions, and warned that such hybrid attacks will have consequences for Moscow.