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- Investigations found the cameras were manufactured by Simicon in St Petersburg and had reportedly been rebranded before delivery.
- Slovakia’s National Security Authority warned of major cybersecurity risks, including hidden access features, software weaknesses and a concealed second SIM slot.
- The cameras could reportedly receive SMS commands from 12 Russian telephone numbers, prompting Slovakia to halt testing and deactivate installed units.
- Authorities also raised concerns that similar Russian-made road cameras are already used in several EU countries, intensifying security fears.
Serious security concerns have emerged in Slovakia over the planned procurement of 279 traffic enforcement cameras through a Cyprus-based company, after the devices were found to have been manufactured in Russia and to contain worrying technical capabilities.
According to a report by the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Slovakia’s Interior Ministry planned to acquire the cameras as part of an effort to modernise its road traffic monitoring system. The supplier was a Cyprus-registered company that reportedly presented itself to Slovak authorities as the manufacturer of the devices.
However, an investigation found that the cameras had actually been manufactured by Simicon, a company based in St Petersburg, and that their branding had reportedly been changed before they were delivered to Slovakia. Slovakia’s National Security Authority (NBÚ) has officially warned of significant cybersecurity risks involving several types of camera-equipped speed measurement systems.
Initial suspicions confirmed
The first allegations about the Russian origin of the cameras were raised in early August by opposition party Progressive Slovakia.
The Interior Ministry initially rejected the claims. Slovakia’s National Security Authority later confirmed that the devices were manufactured by Simicon in St Petersburg.
A subsequent technical analysis identified several vulnerabilities, including discrepancies between the documented and actual configuration of communication interfaces, preconfigured remote access and management mechanisms, and weaknesses in the software.
Hidden second SIM slot
One of the camera models was found to contain a hidden slot for a second SIM card that was not mentioned in the technical documentation.
Even more concerning was the finding that the cameras could receive commands via SMS from 12 telephone numbers registered in Russia, including numbers associated with St Petersburg and the Kemerovo region, according to reporting on the Slovak investigation.
Following these findings, Slovakia’s Interior Ministry halted testing of the new cameras. Reports say the installed units were subsequently deactivated while further checks were pursued.
Questions over Cyprus-based supplier
The role of the Cyprus-based supplier has also come under scrutiny.
According to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung report, Sodasus Ltd presented itself during negotiations with Slovak authorities as the manufacturer of the cameras.
The company was registered in Cyprus in 2021, but the report said no evidence of significant previous commercial activity could be found. The case has therefore raised questions over how Russian-made surveillance equipment entered the European market through a Cyprus-registered company and whether sufficient checks were carried out to establish the equipment’s actual origin.
Slovakia’s National Security Authority has identified NERO R-ONE devices attributed to Sodasus alongside Cordon speed measurement systems manufactured by Russia’s Simicon and similar systems attributed to Croatia’s NEROline.
Similar cameras reportedly used elsewhere in EU
The issue may extend beyond Slovakia.
Slovak authorities have warned that similar Russian-made road cameras are already being used in several EU countries. The National Security Authority has noted that cameras from the same range are sold by Croatian company NEROline, which has reportedly worked with the administration of the Croatian city of Rijeka for around a decade.
The findings have intensified concerns over the presence of Russian surveillance technology in critical European infrastructure.
Previous warnings over compromised cameras
The concerns come against the backdrop of previous warnings from Western cybersecurity agencies about Russian cyber operations targeting cameras.
In May 2025, the UK National Cyber Security Centre, together with US and other allied agencies, warned of a campaign attributed to Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU. The campaign involved access to more than 10,000 internet-connected cameras, including cameras located near military facilities, railway hubs and border crossings.
According to the published findings, around 80% of the compromised cameras were located in Ukraine, while others were identified in Eastern European countries including Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The cameras were used to gather information about the movement of equipment and military aid towards Ukraine.
APT28 linked to GRU
The cyber operation was attributed to APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, a group linked by Western governments to Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU.
APT28 has previously been accused of major cyberattacks against Western political and institutional targets, including the US Democratic National Committee, Germany’s Bundestag and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
The case involving the 279 cameras therefore carries wider implications for European security. Beyond the technical vulnerabilities identified in the devices, questions are now being raised over the route allegedly taken by Russian-made surveillance equipment through Cyprus before reaching an EU member state.
Also read: US puts Visa Waiver on hold: Cyprus remains in limbo despite passing technical test
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