France Summons Russian Ambassador Over Alleged Widespread Cyberattacks
France Responds to Alleged Russian Cyberattacks
Announcement of Diplomatic Action
PARIS, July 13 (Reuters) - France will summon the Russian ambassador to Paris in the coming days over an alleged cyberhacking campaign that Russia has carried out against European countries including France, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday.
Sanctions Against Russian Individuals and Entities
He added France would also place sanctions on some Russian individuals and entities.
Details of the Cyber Campaign
"Today, we will publicly condemn a widespread cyber campaign conducted by Russia that aimed to carry out sabotage and spying conducted against a dozen countries," Barrot told BFM TV.
Summoning the Russian Ambassador
"We will summon the Russian ambassador to France in the coming days," he said, adding that France would sanction nine Russian individuals and four Russian entities regarding this campaign of cyberattacks that Barrot said Russia's Federal Security Service had orchestrated.
European Union's Broader Response
Ongoing Sanctions Against Moscow
The European Union is trying to seal a 21st package of sanctions against Moscow in response to Russia's war with Ukraine and may on Monday decide to add further names to their sanctions list, the European Union's foreign policy chief said.
Previous Accusations of Cyberattacks
The French government has previously accused Moscow of conducting cyberattacks against the country.
Reporting and Editorial Credits
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and John Irish; editing by Barbara Lewis)
