Paris will summon the Russian ambassador to France to the Foreign Ministry over a "massive cybercampaign" for the purpose of sabotage and espionage, carried out by Moscow in a dozen European countries, including France, announced French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reported.
In addition to summoning the ambassador, "we will impose sanctions against nine people and four structures responsible for this cybercampaign, which was organized by the FSB — "The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB in Russian - ed.)", Jean-Noel Barrot told French media.
The minister specified that cybercrime operations are aimed in particular at ministries, companies and operators, with the aim of "either to intercept information or to sabotage the functioning, for example, of railway infrastructure, as was the case in Poland".
He stressed that France has "the ability to detect these attacks".
"We have significantly strengthened our defenses against such cyberattacks", he commented. "We have, in terms of countering this aggression or these hybrid attacks coming from Russia, one of the most advanced mechanisms in Europe and the world", the minister stressed.
The mechanisms created by "Viginum", the official French service for combating foreign digital interference, and by the National Agency for the Security of Information Systems, "whose competences are recognized worldwide", make it possible "to counter disinformation campaigns that could disrupt, for example, the electoral process", noted Jean-Noël Barrot.