DUTCH INTELLIGENCE SAYS RUSSIAN HACKERS USED CAMERAS TO MONITOR NATO AID ROUTES

Dutch intelligence agencies said Russian hackers compromised internet-connected cameras in the Netherlands to monitor routes used for NATO and European defence deliveries bound for Ukraine, according to reporting from NL Times and the Telegraph. The warning came from a joint investigation by the Netherlands' General Intelligence and Security Service, known as AIVD, and the Military Intelligence and Security Service, known as MIVD.

The agencies said the compromised devices included IP cameras and doorbell cameras positioned along roads and transport routes used to move military equipment. According to NL Times, the cameras gave Russian actors visibility over routes used for military-aid shipments, allowing them to watch movements tied to defence logistics.

Dutch officials said only a small number of the affected cameras were located in the Netherlands, but described the activity as part of a larger Russian operation affecting European NATO states and Ukraine. The agencies said the tactic is being used systematically in other NATO and European Union countries, according to the same reporting.

AIVD and MIVD said many of the targeted cameras were poorly secured. Devices were found through public device scanners, and some remained exposed because owners had not changed default passwords or updated outdated firmware. That allowed hackers to access cameras without needing to breach larger government or military networks.

The warning is aimed partly at businesses and property owners located near military transport routes. Dutch intelligence officials urged organizations along those routes to secure cameras, update software, remove default credentials and reduce unnecessary internet exposure.

The camera warning shows how logistics routes can become intelligence targets even when the military cargo itself is protected. A compromised roadside camera can reveal timing, vehicle movements, convoy patterns or the use of particular routes without requiring access to classified military systems.

The new Dutch announcement follows earlier findings about Russian cyber-espionage against Ukraine-support networks. Reuters reported in 2025 that Dutch authorities linked a Russia-backed group known as Laundry Bear to espionage against Dutch police, NATO and European organizations connected to military-equipment procurement and delivery for Ukraine.

Allied agencies have also warned previously that Russian military-intelligence-linked hackers targeted logistics and transportation firms involved in aid to Ukraine, including attempts to access internet-connected cameras near transit points. The Associated Press reported in 2025 that hackers linked to Russian military intelligence targeted Western firms shipping aid to Ukraine and sought information on military and humanitarian deliveries.

The immediate questions are how many cameras were accessed, whether the compromised feeds revealed specific military shipments, and whether NATO governments can persuade private owners along sensitive routes to improve basic camera security. The Dutch warning suggests Russia is treating civilian internet-connected devices as a low-cost intelligence channel into Western military logistics.

Fact-check date: 11 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: NL Times, The Telegraph, AIVD and MIVD statements reported by Dutch media, earlier Reuters and Associated Press reporting on Russian cyber-espionage