Cyber assaults and election meddling by Russia have been verified by NATO, the EU, and the UK according to the Romanian President.
In a significant development, official reports from NATO, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have confirmed Russia's cyberattacks, manipulation, and disinformation campaigns targeting Romania's 2024 presidential elections.
The Constitutional Court of Romania, in response to these findings, annulled the first round of the 2024 presidential election due to evidence of manipulation, particularly an abnormal surge of support for a pro-Russia far-right candidate that was propelled by digital disinformation on social media platforms.
NATO issued statements condemning Russia’s malicious cyber activities as threats to allied security and destabilization tactics within European states, including Romania. The reports specifically identify the Russian military intelligence service GRU and its cyber espionage group APT 28 (also known as Fancy Bear) as responsible for cyber operations targeting Romanian government institutions and critical infrastructure in 2024.
The European Union, alongside NATO and the UK, officially condemned Russia’s interference, including cyber aggression and disinformation campaigns in Romania’s electoral process. Romania’s President Nicuşor Dan publicly shared these official EU and NATO documents confirming such hybrid attacks during the 2024 elections.
The UK, as part of its official position, aligns with NATO’s attribution of these cyberattacks to Russian intelligence services and has supported the condemnation of these hostile operations affecting multiple NATO allies, including Romania.
Following the annulment of the 2024 elections, the presidential elections were held again in May 2023. President Dan urged those who doubt Russia's interference in Romania's November 2024 elections to read the statements. He also emphasised that the Romanian state must continue to present new evidence regarding what happened in the November 2024 presidential elections.
The UK government's document on GRU activities provides evidence of foreign interference in the Romanian elections, while a document published by the UK government details GRU activities in relation to the Romanian elections.
President Dan made statements on July 21, 2023, stating that even countries with strong intelligence capabilities require time to prove foreign interference in elections. He also highlighted the need for the Romanian state to present new evidence, as it is uncovered, about what happened in 2024, when the Constitutional Court cancelled the presidential elections based on reports alleging Russian involvement in the electoral process.
In conclusion, the confirmation of Russian cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns in Romania’s 2024 presidential elections is documented in official NATO and EU statements, corroborated by Romania’s government and judiciary actions, as well as UK governmental alignment with these assessments. The Romanian state continues to investigate and present evidence regarding these matters.
1) In response to the cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, the policy-and-legislation branch of the Romanian government has taken action to address these threats, with the Constitutional Court annulling the first round of the 2024 presidential election.
2) Technology plays a crucial role in the manipulation of elections, as the case in Romania demonstrates, with digital disinformation on social media platforms significantly affecting the electoral process.
3) The general-news coverage of war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice often includes discussions of cybersecurity, as demonstrated by the ongoing investigation into the cyberattacks on Romania, attributed to Russia's military intelligence service GRU.
4) The confirmation of foreign interference in elections has broad implications for politics, as shown by the response of NATO, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, who have collectively condemned Russia's actions and called for increased cybersecurity measures to protect future elections.
