First confirmed Russian sabotage in Netherlands last year, also targeted EU elections
Russian hackers attacked a public facility in the Netherlands last year - the first confirmed sabotage attack in the Netherlands, the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) said in its annual report on Tuesday. Russian hactivists also tried to disrupt Dutch people’s ability to vote in the European elections by targeting political parties’ websites and public transport companies last year, the MIVD said.
The MIVD did not say which public facility Russian hackers sabotaged, only saying they targeted the facility’s digital operating system. “As far as is known, this was the first sabotage attack in the Netherlands, but it did not result in any damage,” the service said.
According to the military intelligence service, Russian services and hacker groups affiliated with the Russian state are carrying out more and increasingly risky attacks. The country is also increasingly using AI in its digital influence operations, like a campaign to spread pro-Russian sentiments on social media that the MIVD helped the United States government disrupt last year. “So-called Russian hactivists aim to disrupt Western support for Ukraine, undermine NATO cohesion, and spread pro-Russian sentiments,” the service said.
The MIVD expects the threat of Russian sabotage and espionage to Europe to increase rather than decrease, even if the war with Ukraine ends. The Netherlands is an interesting target given the many international organizations based here, the Dutch support for Ukraine, the port of Rotterdam, and the country’s advanced high-tech sector. Russia has also been trying to map out Dutch submarine infrastructure in the North Sea.
The Netherlands is also an interesting target of espionage by China, the MIVD said. “In 2024, Chinese cyber units carried out operations against the Netherlands and allies in the EU and NATO.” Chinese espionage software was discovered in a Dutch defense computer system last year, though the Ministry said the malware didn’t cause damage.
“There are turbulent developments in international politics and in the area of alliances. They have called into question certainties on which we could rely and trust until recently,” MIVD director Peter Reesink said. “The speed at which this is happening and the potential effect on our security is unprecedented,” he said.
Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that the MIVD’s annual report makes clear that we are living in a “grey zone” between war and peace. “The task is clear. We already have to defend ourselves against cyber attacks, espionage, and attempts at sabotage every day in the Netherlands. At the same time, we have to strengthen our military capabilities at a rapid pace,” he said. “To prevent vulnerabilities toward Russia, a rapid scaling up of our armed forces and defense industry is necessary.”
