European intelligence agencies say investigations into Russian interference now demand as much attention and resources as counterterrorism, underscoring how cyber and sabotage threats have become central security concerns across the continent. The warning comes as French authorities investigate a cyberattack that disrupted the country’s national postal service at the height of the Christmas delivery rush.
Postal Service Hit During Peak Season
A pro-Russian hacking group known as Noname057(16) claimed responsibility for a distributed denial-of-service attack that knocked La Poste’s central computer systems offline on Monday, French prosecutors said on Wednesday. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that France’s domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, has taken over the investigation following the group’s claim. The disruption remained unresolved by Wednesday morning, leaving postal workers unable to track parcels and interfering with online payments at La Poste’s banking arm, La Banque Postale. The timing amplified the impact, as the attack struck during the busiest period of the year for La Poste, which employs more than 200,000 people nationwide.
A Familiar Group With a Wide Target List
Noname057(16) is not new to European authorities. The group has previously targeted Ukrainian media outlets as well as government and corporate websites in Poland, Sweden and Germany, and has also launched attacks against French government institutions, including the Ministry of Justice, several prefectures and multiple cities. In July, the group was the focus of Operation Eastwood, a coordinated international police effort involving authorities from 12 countries. That operation dismantled more than 100 servers worldwide, led to two arrests in France and Spain, and resulted in seven arrest warrants, six of them for Russian nationals. Despite the crackdown, the group resumed operations within days and has remained active.
Rising Concerns Over Sabotage and Cyber Operations
The attack on La Poste came just days after the French government disclosed a separate cyberattack affecting the Interior Ministry, which oversees national security. In that breach, a suspected hacker extracted several dozen sensitive documents and accessed information related to police records and wanted individuals, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told broadcaster Franceinfo. Prosecutors also revealed last week that France’s counterintelligence agency is investigating a suspected cyber sabotage plot involving software that could have enabled remote control of computer systems on an international passenger ferry. Authorities have detained a Latvian crew member on suspicion of acting on behalf of an unidentified foreign power.
Hints of Russian Involvement and a Broader Pattern
Nunez strongly suggested Russian involvement in the recent incidents, saying “foreign interference very often comes from the same country,” though officials have stopped short of formally attributing responsibility. France and other European allies of Ukraine argue that Russia is waging a campaign of “hybrid warfare” that blends cyberattacks, sabotage, disinformation and, in some cases, assassinations to destabilise Western societies and weaken support for Kyiv. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western officials have attributed scores of incidents across Europe to Moscow, including arson attacks on warehouses, railway sabotage and widespread vandalism. Against that backdrop, intelligence agencies warn that tracking and countering Russian interference has become as time-consuming and complex as confronting traditional terrorist threats.
