European intelligence agencies say investigations into Russian interference now consume as much time and resources as counterterrorism, underscoring how cyber and sabotage threats have become a central security concern across the continent. That warning gained new urgency this week after a pro-Russian hacking group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that disrupted France’s national postal service at the height of the Christmas rush.
Postal Service Hit During Peak Holiday Period
Pro-Russian hacking group Noname057(16) said it carried out a cyberattack that knocked La Poste’s central computer systems offline on Monday, according to French prosecutors. The Paris prosecutor’s office said France’s domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, took over the investigation shortly after the group made its claim. The distributed denial-of-service attack remained unresolved by Wednesday morning, preventing postal workers from tracking package deliveries and disrupting online payments at La Poste’s banking arm, La Banque Postale. The timing amplified the impact, as the attack struck during the busiest season for La Poste, which employs more than 200,000 people nationwide.
A Familiar Actor With a Broad European Footprint
Noname057(16) is no stranger to European security services. The group has previously targeted Ukrainian media outlets and government and corporate websites in countries including Poland, Sweden and Germany, and it has also claimed attacks on French government sites such as the Ministry of Justice, as well as several prefectures and municipalities. 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, including six for Russian nationals. Despite the scale of the crackdown, the group resumed operations within days and has remained active.
A Broader Pattern of Cyber and Physical Threats
The attack on La Poste came only days after the French government disclosed a separate cyberattack affecting the Interior Ministry, which oversees national security. In that incident, a suspected hacker extracted several dozen sensitive documents and gained access to information related to police records and wanted individuals, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told broadcaster Franceinfo. Prosecutors also said last week that France’s counterintelligence agency is investigating a suspected cyberattack plot involving software that could have enabled remote control of computer systems aboard an international passenger ferry. Authorities are holding a Latvian crew member on charges of acting on behalf of an unidentified foreign power.
Russia’s Role and the Hybrid Warfare Threat
While officials have stopped short of formally attributing these incidents, Nunez strongly hinted at Russian involvement, saying that “foreign interference very often comes from same country.” France and other European allies of Ukraine accuse Moscow of waging a campaign of “hybrid warfare” that blends cyberattacks, sabotage, assassinations and disinformation to sow division in Western societies and weaken support for Kyiv. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western officials have linked scores of incidents across Europe to Moscow, including arson attacks on warehouses, railway sabotage and widespread vandalism.
Intelligence Services Under Growing Strain
As cyber operations increasingly overlap with physical sabotage and influence campaigns, European intelligence agencies say the scale and complexity of Russian interference now rival the threat posed by terrorism. The La Poste attack, officials argue, illustrates how digital disruptions can have immediate, real-world consequences, especially when they strike critical services at moments of peak demand.
