• Military
• WMD
• Intelligence

• Security Menu                     

• Systems
• Industry
• Operations
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Space

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna: Estonia condemns Russia's malicious cctivities in the UK's cyberspace

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

18.07.2025 | 15:29

Today, on 18 July, the UK Foreign Office published a statement accusing Russia of malicious cyberattacks targeting British cyberspace. In recent years, cyber and hybrid attacks attributed to Russian authorities have increased across countries supporting Ukraine, primarily targeting organizations providing assistance to Ukraine.

According to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, a clear pattern of aggression emerges from the analysis of Russia's actions, aimed at destabilizing and undermining trust among allies to support its aggression against Ukraine. "Russia has not abandoned its imperialist ambitions and is trying to sow division among allies by exploiting the blurred boundaries of cyberspace and hybrid tactics," Tsahkna said. "Estonia strongly condemns Russia's malicious activities in the UK's and other allies' cyberspace."

The attacks are part of a broader non-military campaign by Russia to destabilize Western societies. These efforts include sabotage, acts of violence, pressure at borders through migration, airspace violations, disinformation campaigns, and other subversive actions. "In cooperation with our allies in NATO, the EU, and beyond, we are taking determined collective steps to counter Russia's hybrid operations more systematically and to respond decisively and asymmetrically," Minister Tsahkna emphasized.

He added that it is of utmost importance that all of Russia's violations of international law - including the crime of aggression against Ukraine, war crimes and crimes against humanity on Ukrainian territory, and subversive actions in countries supporting Ukraine, including in cyberspace - are held accountable. "Cyberspace has clear rules, and every violation must face appropriate consequences."

Estonia continues to support Ukraine through military aid, development cooperation, and digital and cybersecurity partnerships. Estonia remains committed to strengthening Ukraine's cyber resilience and defense through key donor platforms - the Tallinn Mechanism and the IT Coalition.

In September 2024, Estonia attributed the 2020 cyberattacks against the Estonian state to members of Unit 29155, operating under Russia's military intelligence (GRU). This marked the first time Estonia officially attributed state-sponsored cyberattacks to individual perpetrators.