Bloomberg obtained documents that reveal that Russian intelligence had access from 2017 to 2020 to sensitive data from Georgian media platforms, energy companies, and key government departments. This infiltration coincided Georgia’s efforts at establishing closer ties with Western countries and moving away from a pro Russian stance.
Bloomberg has seen documents and technical reports that show that from 2017 to 2020, Russian intelligence agencies had access to information about Georgian energy companies and media platforms, as well as the central bank and government agencies such the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance.
The documents reveal the Kremlin increased its influence over the state at the same time that Georgia was trying to move away from the pro-Russian path and pursue membership in NATO and the European Union.
After the Rose Revolution of 2004, the animosity between Russia, Georgia and other countries escalated. This led to a change in power. Four years later a war erupted between the two countries. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, tensions reached a new level.
Georgia will hold its parliamentary elections on the 26th of October this weekend. The results will determine if the country continues to integrate with the West, or returns to its pro-Russian path.
Natia Seskuria is the Executive Director of Regional Security Research Institute, Tbilisi. She says that hacker activities have shown that “Russia deliberately infiltrated Georgia for many years.”
She said that Russia’s main interest is to “weaken Georgia’s pro Western foreign policy.”
Both the US and EU have accused Russia of cyberattacks against Georgia in the past. In May, the Georgian government faced mass protests when it adopted the “foreign agent” law, which is similar to the Russian version. The government claims that the law was designed to monitor outside influence on non-governmental organisations and the media. The law is seen as another tool used by Moscow to influence a country.
During the espionage operation, Russia was able to “listen in” on all activities in Georgia, a country that it aims to control. Hackers infiltrated Georgian state institutions and critical facilities, monitoring them in real time throughout the day.
The Kremlin could also interfere with Georgia’s vital infrastructure if its government chose a path that was unfavorable to Russia. These details were revealed by documents obtained anonymously by Bloomberg, and European officials familiar with this case.
The Russian military intelligence agency also hacked into the Central Election Commission of Georgia, and may have gained access to email accounts of some officials. Russian intelligence also attacked several media outlets including Georgia’s most popular TV channels Imedi and Maestro. According to documents, the GRU had access to multiple IT systems of Georgia’s National Railway Company for more than two years.
According to a document, hackers linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service conducted a covert operation for months in Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They monitored the emails of high ranking officials and extracted data stored in Georgian Embassies in other countries.
The Central Election Commission of Georgia has stated that on 5 April 2021 its computer servers were the target of a hacker’s attack, but this attack did not “affect” its systems.
Officials from Europe said that their Western counterparts had warned the Georgian authorities of the threat of Russian cyberattacks. It is not clear whether any steps were taken.
On May 11, more than 50,000 people flooded the streets in Tbilisi to protest the “foreign agents” bill, which could limit freedom of speech and strengthen Russian influence in Georgia.
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