Russia accuses foreign intelligence services of hacking the phones of senior officials

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the country’s domestic intelligence agency, accused foreign intelligence services on June 2, 2026, of spying on the smartphones of senior Russian officials. Malware was allegedly used to extract data, intercept communications and monitor victims through the microphones and cameras of compromised devices.

According to the FSB, foreign services carried out the operation “using the technical capabilities of major international IT companies.” Russian authorities have opened a criminal investigation and are working to “identify the perpetrators, map the infrastructure used and determine the scope of the compromised information.”

The FSB claims that some officials targeted by the campaign were later added to U.S. and European Union sanctions lists. However, the agency did not disclose the name of the spyware used, nor did it provide technical evidence to support its allegations.