Denmark Accuses Russia of Cyber Attacks Amid Escalating Tensions

The Danish government has accused Russia of being behind two destructive and disruptive cyber-attacks, describing this as very clear evidence of a hybrid war. The Danish Defence Intelligence Service announced on Thursday that a cyber-attack on a Danish water utility in December 2024 and a series of distributed denial-of-service attacks on Danish websites leading up to municipal and regional council elections in November were attributed to Moscow.

The water utility attack in Kge involved a hacker controlling the waterworks and changing the pressure in the pumps, resulting in three burst pipes. The group Z-Pentest was identified as responsible for the water utility attack, while NoName057(16), which has ties to the Russian state, conducted the DDoS attacks.

DDIS director Thomas Ahrenkiel stated they are confident these pro-Russian groups are connected to the Russian government. Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen condemned the attacks as completely unacceptable, indicating that Denmark is taking these incidents very seriously.

The foreign office plans to summon the Russian ambassador for a meeting. Minister for Resilience and Preparedness, Torsten Schack Pedersen, noted that despite the limited damage, these attacks demonstrated vulnerabilities in Denmark's ability to withstand cyber threats.

Copenhagen also referenced drone incursions on Danish airports and military sites in September as a hybrid attack, highlighting gaps in defense capabilities and leading to plans for a European drone wall.