New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
New Zealand has joined in international condemnation of cyber attacks by the Russian government, after the UK sanctioned more than 20 Russian spies, hackers and agencies.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK's National Cyber Security Centre had discovered a sophisticated digital espionage tool used to harvest login credentials from online Microsoft products.
He accused Russia of conducting a "sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity" targeting governments and institutions across Europe, and linked the activity to the UK's continued support of Ukraine.
Spies from Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, were "running a campaign to destabilise Europe", he added.
In a statement, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Russia's "hostile behaviour in cyberspace continues to threaten global cybersecurity and undermine agreed international rules and norms. New Zealand stands with the UK in calling out this behaviour."
The UK has exposed the role of the GRU's cyber operations in real-world events, including the 2018 Novichok poisonings in Salisbury and the bombing of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. On Saturday, it imposed sanctions on the units and individuals it said were responsible.
Separately, according to Reuters, the European Union placed its "strongest sanctions" yet on Russia, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called "essential and timely".
New Zealand supported international efforts to impose costs on those responsible for Russia's illegal war against Ukraine, Peters added.
"New Zealand will continue to use the Russia Sanctions Act to hold the enablers of Russia's military to account and press the Russian government to end its unlawful and unjust war.
"New Zealand has already sanctioned some of the groups and individuals the United Kingdom has acted against today, and officials are providing advice on whether further sanctions are appropriate."
The NZ office of Foreign Affairs said that, to date, New Zealand had imposed sanctions on more than 1,800 entities and individuals under the Russia Sanctions Act 2022, including the Head of the GRU and its cyber warfare units 74455 and 26165, also known as Sandworm and Fancy Bear.
- RNZ/Reuters
