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The security forces claim that international IT corporations helped spy on Russian politicians.
The FSB announced a large-scale operation of foreign special services against mobile devices of high-ranking Russian officials. According to the agency, the phones introduced spy software that allowed to obtain sensitive information, listen to negotiations and control the situation near the device.
The FSB Public Relations Center reported that the service opened and documented a large-scale action of foreign special services related to the introduction and use of malicious software on mobile communication of Russian employees of high rank.
The department clarified that spyware allowed unauthorized data, listen to negotiations, as well as conduct hidden acoustic and video control of the space next to the infected devices.
According to the FSB, representatives of foreign special services used the technical capabilities of large international IT corporations and mobile communication tools for covert collection of information from devices chosen for cyberattack.
An operational officer of the FSB called the introduction of spyware one of the largest operations of foreign special services against Russian officials, reports TASS. According to him, the organizers tried to receive data on contacts, plans and moods in society directly, without intermediaries like non-profit organizations.
The FSB claims that access to the devices allowed to collect the contents of phones and correspondence, listen to negotiations, conduct acoustic and video control of the situation next to the infected device, as well as receive data on the geolocation and contacts of the owner. An operative of the department called the identified scheme a multi-level operation with serious risks and far-reaching consequences. According to him, the scale of the attack involves the coordination of several states.
The FSB also said that the collected information could be used to pressure specific people. An operative of the department told TASS that officials whose phones were wiretapped by foreign special services then fell into the US and European Union sanctions lists.
The Investigative Department of the FSB opened a criminal case under articles 272 and 273 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provide for liability for illegal access to computer information, as well as the creation, use and distribution of malicious computer programs. Now the investigation establishes the executors, channels of infrastructure, specific victims and the amount of compromised data.
The FSB warned that foreign intelligence services use modern information technology and mobile communications in destructive activities. The Agency called unacceptable the discussion of confidential information on mobile communication and next to phones, since the content of the negotiations can become known to third parties and lead to irreversible consequences.
TASS also published a video taken at Cloudflare and Fastly offices in the United States. The caption to the video says that the FSB showed the offices of IT companies, the programs of which, according to the department, were used for wiretapping
In another article, the agency told about Apple smartphones and the possible hacking of the iPhone through the “invisible” message iMessage. TASS cited the comment of the director of the global center for research and analysis of threats of Kaspersky Lab Igor Kuznetsov. According to the expert, after receiving the message, the phone began to process the data, the malware was launched on the device, and the message itself was deleted. Kuznetsov explained that the message actually remained invisible to the owner of the iPhone.
Kuznetsov said that Kaspersky Lab specialists found suspicious activity in 2023 with standard monitoring of the corporate Wi-Fi network to which employees’ mobile phones were connected. According to the expert, the infection affected only Apple devices, and it took more than six months to restore the full picture of the attack. Installed through iMessage software worked unnoticed for the owner and gave the attackers control over the device, Kuznetsov said. According to him, the modules of the malware could record the sound for up to three hours, including in air mode, send a record after the appearance of communication, as well as collect messages over the past three days. Kaspersky Lab specialists also found a hardware vulnerability in Apple processors, Kuznetsov said. According to the expert, it was about an undocumented function, which allowed to bypass the last line of protection at the processor level and showed a high level of complexity of the attack.
In December 2025, the press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov said that Russian officials need to be extremely careful because of threats from the special services of other states. According to the representative of the Kremlin, foreign intelligence services, especially hostile ones, are doing their work, so officials need increased caution.
Peskov then commented on the statement of the former head of the GUR of Ukraine Kirill Budanov, who later headed the office of the Ukrainian president. Budanov claimed that Ukrainian intelligence has the opportunity to listen to the Kremlin.
Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Yuri Shvytkin in response said that the words of the head of the GUR are not true. According to the deputy, attempts to listen may be made, but Russia has sufficient technical means to counteract such activities.
Earlier, Bloomberg published a transcript of the conversation between the special envoy of US President Steve Whitcoff and assistant to the President of Russia Yuri Ushakov on October 14. The agency indicated that it had prepared the text after reading the call recording. In a separate material, Bloomberg also cited the transcript of the conversation of the special representative of the President of Russia Kirill Dmitriev and Ushakov from October 29.
Dmitriev called the publication a fake. Ushakov said that some of the leaks in the media about the telephone conversations are fake, and some reports have refused to comment, since his conversations with Whitcoff are closed.
President Vladimir Putin at the end of November recalled that the publication of eavesdropped telephone conversations in Russia is considered a criminal offense. Putin admitted that such materials can be fakes or really overheard-of conversations, but stressed that listening is prohibited by law.
The FSB announced a large-scale operation of foreign special services against mobile devices of high-ranking Russian officials. According to the agency, the phones introduced spy software that allowed to obtain sensitive information, listen to negotiations and control the situation near the device.
The FSB Public Relations Center reported that the service opened and documented a large-scale action of foreign special services related to the introduction and use of malicious software on mobile communication of Russian employees of high rank.
The department clarified that spyware allowed unauthorized data, listen to negotiations, as well as conduct hidden acoustic and video control of the space next to the infected devices.
According to the FSB, representatives of foreign special services used the technical capabilities of large international IT corporations and mobile communication tools for covert collection of information from devices chosen for cyberattack.
An operational officer of the FSB called the introduction of spyware one of the largest operations of foreign special services against Russian officials, reports TASS. According to him, the organizers tried to receive data on contacts, plans and moods in society directly, without intermediaries like non-profit organizations.
The FSB claims that access to the devices allowed to collect the contents of phones and correspondence, listen to negotiations, conduct acoustic and video control of the situation next to the infected device, as well as receive data on the geolocation and contacts of the owner. An operative of the department called the identified scheme a multi-level operation with serious risks and far-reaching consequences. According to him, the scale of the attack involves the coordination of several states.
The FSB also said that the collected information could be used to pressure specific people. An operative of the department told TASS that officials whose phones were wiretapped by foreign special services then fell into the US and European Union sanctions lists.
The Investigative Department of the FSB opened a criminal case under articles 272 and 273 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provide for liability for illegal access to computer information, as well as the creation, use and distribution of malicious computer programs. Now the investigation establishes the executors, channels of infrastructure, specific victims and the amount of compromised data.
The FSB warned that foreign intelligence services use modern information technology and mobile communications in destructive activities. The Agency called unacceptable the discussion of confidential information on mobile communication and next to phones, since the content of the negotiations can become known to third parties and lead to irreversible consequences.
TASS also published a video taken at Cloudflare and Fastly offices in the United States. The caption to the video says that the FSB showed the offices of IT companies, the programs of which, according to the department, were used for wiretapping
In another article, the agency told about Apple smartphones and the possible hacking of the iPhone through the “invisible” message iMessage. TASS cited the comment of the director of the global center for research and analysis of threats of Kaspersky Lab Igor Kuznetsov. According to the expert, after receiving the message, the phone began to process the data, the malware was launched on the device, and the message itself was deleted. Kuznetsov explained that the message actually remained invisible to the owner of the iPhone.
Kuznetsov said that Kaspersky Lab specialists found suspicious activity in 2023 with standard monitoring of the corporate Wi-Fi network to which employees’ mobile phones were connected. According to the expert, the infection affected only Apple devices, and it took more than six months to restore the full picture of the attack. Installed through iMessage software worked unnoticed for the owner and gave the attackers control over the device, Kuznetsov said. According to him, the modules of the malware could record the sound for up to three hours, including in air mode, send a record after the appearance of communication, as well as collect messages over the past three days. Kaspersky Lab specialists also found a hardware vulnerability in Apple processors, Kuznetsov said. According to the expert, it was about an undocumented function, which allowed to bypass the last line of protection at the processor level and showed a high level of complexity of the attack.
In December 2025, the press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov said that Russian officials need to be extremely careful because of threats from the special services of other states. According to the representative of the Kremlin, foreign intelligence services, especially hostile ones, are doing their work, so officials need increased caution.
Peskov then commented on the statement of the former head of the GUR of Ukraine Kirill Budanov, who later headed the office of the Ukrainian president. Budanov claimed that Ukrainian intelligence has the opportunity to listen to the Kremlin.
Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Yuri Shvytkin in response said that the words of the head of the GUR are not true. According to the deputy, attempts to listen may be made, but Russia has sufficient technical means to counteract such activities.
Earlier, Bloomberg published a transcript of the conversation between the special envoy of US President Steve Whitcoff and assistant to the President of Russia Yuri Ushakov on October 14. The agency indicated that it had prepared the text after reading the call recording. In a separate material, Bloomberg also cited the transcript of the conversation of the special representative of the President of Russia Kirill Dmitriev and Ushakov from October 29.
Dmitriev called the publication a fake. Ushakov said that some of the leaks in the media about the telephone conversations are fake, and some reports have refused to comment, since his conversations with Whitcoff are closed.
President Vladimir Putin at the end of November recalled that the publication of eavesdropped telephone conversations in Russia is considered a criminal offense. Putin admitted that such materials can be fakes or really overheard-of conversations, but stressed that listening is prohibited by law.
