European intelligence agencies report that probing Russian interference now demands as much attention and resources as counterterrorism efforts, highlighting the growing scale and sophistication of cyber and sabotage operations across the continent. The warning follows a high-profile cyberattack on France’s national postal service during the peak Christmas delivery season.
Postal Service Disrupted by Claimed Pro-Russian Hack
French prosecutors said Wednesday that pro-Russian hacking group Noname057(16) claimed responsibility for the attack that knocked La Poste’s central computer systems offline on Monday. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that the domestic intelligence agency DGSI immediately took over the investigation. The disruption left postal workers unable to track packages and interrupted online payments at La Banque Postale, the company’s banking arm, affecting operations during the busiest period for the organization, which employs over 200,000 people.
A Persistent Threat Actor
Noname057(16) has a history of targeting Ukrainian media outlets, government and corporate websites across Europe, including Poland, Sweden, and Germany, as well as French government platforms such as the Ministry of Justice and multiple prefectures and municipalities. The group was a key focus of Operation Eastwood in July, a coordinated international police initiative involving 12 countries. During the operation, authorities dismantled over 100 servers, arrested suspects in France and Spain, and issued seven arrest warrants, six of them for Russian nationals. Despite this, Noname057(16) resumed operations within days and has remained active.
Recent Cyber Incidents Escalate Concerns
The postal attack came days after a separate breach hit France’s Interior Ministry, which oversees national security. In that incident, a suspected hacker extracted sensitive documents and accessed police records and information on wanted individuals, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told Franceinfo. Prosecutors also revealed that France’s counterintelligence agency is investigating a suspected plot involving software that could remotely control computer systems on an international passenger ferry. Authorities said a Latvian crew member is being held on charges of acting on behalf of an unidentified foreign power.
Russia’s Shadow Over Europe
Although officials have not formally attributed the attacks, Nunez strongly suggested Russian involvement, saying, “foreign interference very often comes from same country.” France and other European allies of Ukraine describe these operations as part of a wider campaign of “hybrid warfare,” which Moscow allegedly executes through sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks, and disinformation to destabilize Western societies and weaken support for Ukraine. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Western authorities have documented dozens of sabotage incidents across Europe, including warehouse arson, railway disruptions, and vandalism, which they attribute to Moscow. Against this backdrop, European intelligence now treats Russian interference with the same urgency as terrorism, reflecting its increasing threat to national and regional security.
