The French ministry said that the hacking group was used “to target or compromize a dozen French entities” since 2021, and was also being used to put pressure on Ukraine’s infrastructure.
France’s cybersecurity agency said in a paper that French ministerial agencies were targeted as well as various private sector actors, including in the finance and aerospace sectors.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot posted a message on X saying France “observes, blocks and fights its adversaries,” along with a video about the “silent war” waged by Russia against France.
It is rare for the French government to call out perpetrators of cyberattacks on its territory by name.
In recent weeks, though, Macron has upped the rhetoric against Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a bid to pile the pressure on ceasefire talks between the U.S and Russia.
Last week, Macron called on Putin to “stop lying” on his desire to peacefully end the war in Ukraine in an impassioned exchange with reporters. Previously, the French president also warned U.S. President Donald Trump that Putin was playing games at the end of an international summit in Paris.