Germany links cyberattack on research group to Russian state-backed hackers therecord.media/germany-l…

German authorities suspect that Russian state-backed hackers were behind a recent cyberattack on a prominent Berlin-based research institute focused on Eastern Europe, the second such incident involving the organization in recent months.

The German Association for Eastern European Studies (DGO) said the attack at the end of March was “highly professional” and targeted email systems, bypassing enhanced cybersecurity measures put in place after a previous breach in October 2024 with suspected Russian links.

German intelligence officials believe the intrusion may be linked to APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, a group allegedly affiliated with Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), local media reported.

While German security agencies have not publicly attributed the attack, the DGO claimed the origin was Russian.