Czech Republic targeted by Russian cyber attack since last year, ministry says

It did not say which institutions were targeted. The Russian embassy in Prague did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ministry statement.

The Czech Republic's institutions have been targeted by a Russian cyber attack since last year, the Czech Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

It said the Russian APT28 group, believed to be connected to Russia's GRU military intelligence, had exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft's Outlook programme. The ministry issued its statement after the German Interior Ministry said on Friday a series of cyber attacks attributable to the GRU targeted Germany's governing Social Democrats as well as the country's logistics, defence, aerospace and IT sectors.

"Czechia jointly with Germany, the European Union, NATO and international partners strongly condemns activities of the Russian state-controlled actor APT28, which has been conducting a long-term cyber espionage campaign in European countries," the ministry said. It did not say which institutions were targeted.

The Russian embassy in Prague did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ministry statement. "In the context of the upcoming European elections, national elections in a number of European countries and the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, these acts are particularly serious and reprehensible," the Czech statement said.

"We are determined to respond strongly to this unacceptable behaviour together with our European and international partners."