The FSB reported that officials' phones had been hacked
The FSB stated that the phones of high-ranking Russian officials were allegedly targeted in a large-scale cyberespionage attack by foreign intelligence services, which may have gained access to their data. A criminal investigation has already been opened in Russia, but no specific countries suspected of being behind the operation have been named.
Russia has again reported an alleged large-scale cyberattack on the mobile phones of high-ranking officials, and this time the narrative sounds like a classic digital espionage plot, where unknown foreign intelligence agencies “hunt” for data from Russian officials, gaining access to information from their devices and leveraging the technological capabilities of major international companies and mobile networks.
The FSB claims that this involves the covert installation of malicious software, which is allegedly capable not only of stealing data but also of eavesdropping on conversations and even tracking the surroundings of infected devices, while specific countries that may have been involved in the so-called operation are not named, and the case itself has already been formalized as a criminal proceeding.
Separately, the Russian intelligence agency stated that individuals who later ended up on U.S. and EU sanctions lists may have been targeted, thereby attempting to link the cyber incidents to a political context and international restrictions, although no direct evidence has been publicly disclosed. At the same time, Russia itself acknowledges that the alleged spyware could be a sophisticated, multi-layered surveillance tool capable of collecting confidential information in real time, which only amplifies the general tone of alarm in official statements.
As noted in the publication, despite the high-profile accusations against the West, Russia itself has repeatedly been suspected of carrying out similar cyberattacks abroad, particularly against government institutions and diplomatic bodies, and after the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, the issue of cybersecurity has become even more politicized.
In particular, the FSB had previously claimed that thousands of iPhones had been allegedly hacked by U.S. intelligence agencies, linking this to the SIM cards of diplomats from various countries, while Western partners regularly issue public warnings about the activities of Russian hacking groups, which, according to their data, may use providers’ infrastructure and network equipment for covert surveillance.
Reports from international companies and cybersecurity centers have also repeatedly cited data on the activities of groups linked to Russian intelligence that employed sophisticated methods to access email, servers, and communications infrastructure, contributing to the broader backdrop of mutual accusations in cyberspace between Russia and the West. This is reported by Bloomberg.
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