Wheeled infantry fighting vehicle for Ukraine: Hackers put plan for Swiss deal online

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The publication of confidential federal documents is of great concern to SP National Councilor Priska Seiler Graf (54). “We need to invest even more in cyber defense, that has been neglected for too long,” says the security politician.

Russian hackers have published confidential documents from the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (Seco) on the Telegram news channel. This confirms to the Tamedia newspapers that the paper is genuine. It explores the possibilities for a ring exchange of Swiss-made armored personnel carriers to further support Ukraine in the war against Russia.

“It shows how vulnerable we are”

“Federal and federal-related businesses have been hit more and more by hacker attacks lately,” said SVP National Councilor Mauro Tuena, 51. This worries the chairman of the Security Policy Committee of the National Council: “It shows how vulnerable we are. The federal government needs to go through the books as soon as possible.” Plans for electronic voting and the like are probably long off the table.

According to FDP chairman Thierry Burkart (47), the publication of confidential documents not only shows how vulnerable the federal government is. “It also indicates once again that Switzerland is one of the Kremlin’s targets for cyber-attacks,” he says. “Actually, I would expect the Federal Council to clearly let Russia know what it thinks through diplomatic channels.”

According to the Seco document, Denmark could supply a Baltic state with piranha-wheeled infantry fighting vehicles purchased from Switzerland years ago. It would then pass on its own military vehicles to Ukraine.

Switzerland would allow aid to Ukraine

In this way, Denmark would indirectly enable the rearmament of Ukraine without Swiss armored vehicles actually ending up in a war zone. However, the Federal Bureau emphasizes that Seco has not received any specific request for such a ring exchange.

According to the Seco, the document was made available to the outside world as a language regulation to the federal government and embassies abroad. The Seco spokesperson assures that the content of the indiscretion is no longer problematic. The version is from the beginning of the year, the information about it was already known.

Security politicians are actually quite relaxed. “The Seco is only investigating the possibilities within the existing legislation. It does its job with it,” says SP National Councilor Seiler Graf. SVP colleague Tuena sees it that way too.

However, opinions differ widely on the content. “However, in this case, the piranhas would not enter Ukraine at all. I think that would be compatible with the Swiss law of neutrality,” says Seiler Graf.

The situation is similar to 25 Leopard 2 tanks that the Bundesrat and Nationalrat want to sell to Germany. Berlin wants to replenish its own stocks after tanks have already been delivered to Ukraine. Only the approval of the Council of States is still missing.

Seco takes the matter “very seriously”

Tuena, on the other hand, speaks of an exchange of rings that would not be possible in terms of neutrality policy: “The Bundesrat would have to make a final decision on a specific request.” The problem: Even experts in international law disagree on this issue.

The only thing that is clear is that the tightened Swiss law on war materials is now firmly bound, says FDP leader Burkart. Parliament is still trying to find solutions.

It was initially unclear how the document came into the hands of the hackers. They claimed to have found the Swiss document in an email sent by a member of the Ukrainian military. The Ukrainians, in turn, leaked the newspaper through the US secret service. The Seco launched investigations. The matter is being “taken very seriously,” said a Seco spokesman. (dba)

Source:Blick