Romanian intelligence agency says it identified Russian-linked cyber attack


FSB (Federal'naya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti) logo and Russian flag are seen in this illustration taken May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

BUCHAREST, Nov 11 (Reuters) - A ⁠hacking group linked to Russia's FSB security service staged ⁠a cyberattack on a Romanian government organisation last year, the ‌country's intelligence agency said on Wednesday.

Russia's embassy in Romania did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Romania, a European Union and NATO member, shares a ​land border of more than 600 km (370 ⁠miles) with Ukraine, and ⁠centrist PresidentNicusor Dan has said it is the target of a hybrid ⁠war ‌waged by Russia to destabilise nations that support Kyiv.

The attacks have ranged from drone incursions into Romanian airspace ⁠to cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, acts of sabotage and ​attacks on cargo ‌vessels near Romanian waters, Dan has said. Russia has repeatedly ⁠denied accusations ​that it is waging hybrid war against European states.

Russian-linked APT hacking group Turla was behind the December 2025 cyberattack, Romania's intelligence agency SRI ⁠said, adding that it had "implemented measures to ​counter the attack and remedy its effects".

"The attackers exploited a series of systemic vulnerabilities in Microsoft operating systems, but the attackwas stopped after ⁠the National Cyberint Centre intervened," SRI said in a statement.

"No exfiltration of sensitive data was identified, and the affected email service has been fixed," it added, without identifying the governmentorganisation that was ​targeted.

Cybersecurity firm ESET said on Tuesday thatTurla ⁠had targeted the unnamed Romanian state institution by using previously undocumented malware ​designed to identify emails sent or ‌received from NATO and the EU.

SRI ​said it had cooperated with EU and NATO partners in this case.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

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