Poland links winter cyberattacks on energy sector to Russia's security service — Reuters
Photo: Poland accuses Russia's FSS of cyberattacks on energy facilities (Getty Images)
In late December 2025, dozens of energy infrastructure facilities in Poland were targeted in a large-scale cyberattack. Polish authorities believe Russian intelligence was behind the attack and say its goal was to cause damage during freezing temperatures, Reuters reports.
The media states that Polish officials see a Russian link in cyberattacks on 30 renewable energy facilities. They also report an attack on a manufacturing company and on a thermal power plant that supplies heat to nearly 500,000 consumers.
The Computer Emergency Response Team Polska (CERT Polska) said the attacks were purely destructive in nature and compared them to digital arson.
The main objective was to irreversibly destroy data within the thermal power plant's systems, but this part of the attack was blocked thanks to cybersecurity protection systems.
A CERT Polska report emphasizes that the attacks occurred during severe frost and snowstorms, increasing risks to civilian infrastructure and the population.
Polish authorities have linked the incident to a hacking group they believe operates on behalf of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSS).
The group, known as Berserk Bear and Dragonfly, has previously been linked to the FSS's Center 16.
Russia has traditionally denied any involvement in cyberattacks in Europe and has not issued an official comment on these allegations.
Cyberattacks on Poland
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has previously suggested possible involvement of Russian intelligence services in cyberattacks on Poland's energy facilities, while stressing that there is currently no conclusive evidence.
On January 14, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski reported a significant number of attacks on the country's energy sector in late 2025. According to him, the situation was compounded by harsh weather conditions, which limited monitoring capabilities.
Earlier, Polish Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka reported that an unsuccessful cyberattack hit several electricity-generating facilities in the final days of 2025.
Russia is also conducting hybrid warfare through cyberattacks, not only against European countries but also against the US. In November 2025, a Russian cyberattack targeting municipal infrastructure was recorded in the US.
Hackers gained access to the networks of an American engineering company that works with contractors in water supply, transportation, and emergency response services.
