Germany's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian embassy chargé d'affaires following confirmed cyberattacks by Russian state-aligned group APT28 against the SPD and critical sectors dating back to 2022.

Following cyberattacks attributed by German intelligence to the Russian military intelligence agency GRU's hacker group APT28, targeting the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and various critical sectors including logistics, armaments, aerospace, and IT services across Germany and other European countries including Ukraine, Germany's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires in Berlin on May 3, 2024. The attacks exploited a Microsoft Outlook vulnerability from as early as March 2022 and were part of a broader campaign against government institutions and businesses. The German government and European Union officials condemned these operations as unacceptable state-sponsored cyber aggression violating international norms. The United States also aligned with Germany, attributing the attacks specifically to APT28. Russia denied involvement. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasized the threat to democracy and highlighted the deployment of enhanced protective measures against hybrid threats. SPD leadership expressed defiance, citing the attacks as recognition of their democratic resolve and support for Ukraine.