Germany has recalled its ambassador to Russia for a week of consultations in Berlin following an alleged hacker attack on Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party, the Social Democrats. The German government is taking this incident seriously, as it views it as an attack on the country’s liberal democracy and the institutions that support it.
Last week, Germany accused Russian military agents of hacking into the top levels of the Social Democrats’ party, as well as other sensitive government and industrial targets.
The hacking campaign is believed to have started as early as March 2022, just a month after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Emails at the Social Democrat party headquarters were accessed beginning in December of that year.
The attacks also targeted German companies, particularly those in the defense and aerospace sectors, as well as targets related to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Officials said the hacking attempts persisted for months.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock decided to call back German Ambassador Alexander Lambsdorff for a week of consultations in response to the incident.
Germany has joined other NATO and European countries in warning that Russia’s cyberespionage will have consequences.
Relations between Russia and the West have been strained since Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, with Germany providing military support to Ukraine throughout the conflict.
Petteri Orpo, the Prime Minister of nearby Finland, said in Copenhagen that the war is not limited to Ukraine and that Russia is becoming increasingly aggressive.
He warned that Russia might resort to hybrid attacks targeting critical infrastructure in an attempt to harm Western societies.
Orpo stressed that Russia’s actions and plans are unacceptable and that the country is willing to use any means possible to cause harm.
As tensions continue to rise, the alleged hacking incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by Western nations in their dealings with Russia, both in the physical and digital realms.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.