French ministries targeted by 'unprecedented' cyberattacks since Sunday

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – French state institutions have been targeted in "unprecedented" cyberattacks since Sunday, according to media reports.

Anonymous Sudan, a group of pro-Russian hackers, claimed responsibility for the cyberattack on the Telegram messaging app, France Info reported on Monday.

The cyberattack was "unprecedented in intensity" and targeted ministry websites, but access to those pages has been restored, government sources told French media outlets.

The attack type was "denial-of-service" (DdoS), which involves disrupting a target's traffic by overwhelming it with a flood of traffic, the source added.

France-Russia relations are currently at the lowest ebb over the war in Ukraine, which began in Feb. 2022.

Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out sending Western soldiers to Ukraine “to make sure Russia does not prevail,” a proposal that was rejected by allies including Germany. However, it is reported that Paris is allying with countries that are open to the idea.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the French Parliament will vote symbolically on the bilateral security agreement signed with Kyiv last month, as well as Paris' strategy to support Ukraine.