France accused Russia’s high-profile hacking group of launching repeated cyberattacks against the country over the last decade.

A statement from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency has been carrying out attacks against French interests since at least 2015. Targets include President Emmanuel Macron’s presidential campaign, the Paris Olympics, defense firms, and think tanks.

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“These destabilizing activities are unacceptable and unworthy of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council,” the foreign ministry said. “Alongside its partners, France is determined to use all means at its disposal to anticipate, deter, and respond to Russia’s malicious behavior in cyberspace.”

It is not the first time a Western nation has accused GRU unit APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, of cyberattacks, but it is the first time France has made such a statement.

France said APT28’s attacks began in 2015 when the station TV5 Monde was taken off air, in a hack by a group claiming to be Islamic State militants.

Russia also allegedly interfered with France’s 2017 presidential election when emails linked to Macron’s campaign, who ultimately won the election, were leaked and mixed with disinformation.

French officials said the government did not go public with the accusations until now due to the uncertainty caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The report also accused Russia of targeting French entities, including a ″sports organization linked to the planning of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.″

Multiple reports from 2023 and 2024 highlighted an intensifying effort from Russia to undermine France through disinformation campaigns, particularly the Paris Olympics. The participation of Russian athletes in the Olympics has been cut for years due to state-sponsored doping and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The country said APT28 most recently attacked it last December. France claimed Russia launched cyber attacks on it more than 4,000 times in 2024, marking a 15% increase in cyberattacks since 2023.

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Last year, Germany accused APT28 of launching cyberattacks on its defense and aerospace firms and its ruling party.

APT28 has a long history of cyberattacks. The group was previously sanctioned by the European Union for hacking the German Bundestag. It also is tied to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee in 2016.