Germany’s Green party says email system hit by cyberattack

BERLIN (AP): The German Green party, which is part of the country’s governing coalition, says its IT system was hit by a cyberattack last month that affected email accounts belonging to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economy Minister Robert Habeck.

The party confirmed a report Saturday by German weekly Der Spiegel, but said the two hadn’t actively used their party accounts since January.

A total of 14 accounts — including those of party leaders Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour — were compromised in such a way that some emails were forwarded to addresses outside the party, the Greens said.

Der Spiegel reported that an electronic trail indicated the cyberattack might have originated in Russia, but the party declined to confirm that, citing the ongoing investigation by German authorities.

Baerbock has long maintained a hawkish line toward Russia over its human rights record and attacks on Ukraine. Since coming to office in December, Habeck has led Germany’s efforts to wean itself off Russian energy supplies.