Germany has issued an arrest warrant for a suspected Russian military intelligence officer alleged to have hacked servers in the German parliament, the country’s Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported Tuesday.
The suspect, Dmitry Badin, 29, is also wanted in the United States on charges of trying to interfere in the country’s 2016 presidential election. A 2018 indictment accused Badin and 11 other GRU military intelligence officers of hacking into and stealing documents from the computers of those involved in the elections, including Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party.
German federal prosecutors this week issued an arrest warrant for Badin, who they’re “certain” was one of the leading figures in an April-May 2015 cyberattack on the German parliament, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung.
At least 16 gigabytes of data were stolen from the Bundestag in the attack, including tens of thousands of lawmakers’ emails, it reported.
Germany’s investigation advanced with assistance from the U.S. and the Netherlands, according to the newspaper.
German investigators have reportedly identified a second suspect but pressed on with charges against Badin because of a statute of limitations.
If Badin were in an unlikely event to leave Russia, Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that he would first be extradited to the U.S.
The FBI’s Most Wanted page on Badin identifies him as a member of the GRU’s Unit 26165, also known as the Fancy Bear hacking group that has targeted high-level government, military and sports bodies.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
