Danish authorities say in a brand new evaluation revealed this week that Russia carried out cyberattacks in opposition to infrastructure and web sites in Denmark in 2024 and 2025, describing new instances which had not beforehand been reported.
Denmark’s Protection Intelligence Service mentioned in a press release Thursday that Moscow was accountable for “harmful and disruptive” cyberattacks on a Danish water utility in 2024 and a collection of denial of service assaults which overwhelmed Danish web sites forward of regional and native elections final month. Danish broadcaster DR mentioned the assault on the water utility induced pipes to burst, leaving houses briefly with out water.
The intelligence service mentioned the assaults have been a part of Russia’s “hybrid battle” in opposition to the West and an try and create instability. It mentioned Moscow’s cyberattacks are a part of a broader marketing campaign to undermine and punish nations which help Ukraine.
Torsten Schack Pedersen, Denmark’s minister of resilience and preparedness, mentioned the assaults resulted in restricted harm however had critical ramifications.
“It exhibits that there are forces able to shutting down essential components of our society,” he mentioned throughout a information convention Thursday, as reported by Danish broadcaster DR.
Schack Pedersen added that the cyberattacks present that Denmark shouldn’t be sufficiently outfitted to deal with such conditions, DR reported.
The assaults are amongst a rising variety of incidents that Western officers say are half a marketing campaign of sabotage and disruption throughout Europe masterminded by Russia. An Related Press database has documented 147 incidents, together with the 2 instances reported by Denmark this week.
Not all incidents are public and it could possibly typically take officers months to ascertain a hyperlink to Moscow. Whereas officers say the marketing campaign — waged since President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — goals to deprive Kyiv of help, they consider Moscow can also be making an attempt to establish Europe’s weak spots and suck up legislation enforcement sources.Commercial. Scroll to proceed studying.
The Danish company mentioned pro-Russian group Z-Pentest carried out the “harmful assault” on the water utility in 2024 and {that a} separate group, NoName057(16), was accountable for the cyberattack on Danish web sites forward of the current elections. It mentioned each have hyperlinks to the Russian state.
“The Russian state makes use of each teams as devices of its hybrid battle in opposition to the West. The purpose is to create insecurity within the focused nations and to punish people who help Ukraine,” the assertion mentioned.
Z-Pentest’s alleged actions affected the utility’s water strain and induced water pipes to burst close to Køge, some 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Copenhagen, DR reported. A number of clients have been out of water consequently.
NoName057(16) acted, authorities mentioned, in November to disrupt the elections, in keeping with DR.
In Germany, in the meantime, authorities summoned Russia’s ambassador in Berlin on Dec. 12 after the international ministry accused Moscow of finishing up sabotage, cyberattacks and election interference.
That included a 2024 cyberattack in opposition to German air visitors management, German international ministry spokesperson Martin Giese mentioned.
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