New York (CNN Business) A hacking group that is thought to be linked to Russian military intelligence targeted the European offices of two American think tanks, Microsoft revealed late Tuesday.

Microsoft MSFT Fancy Bear, the same hacking group that is believed to be behind some of the 2016 hacking of the Democratic National Committee , targeted The Aspen Institute and The German Marshall Fund of the United States,said. The German Council on Foreign Relations was also targeted.

"We've seen and continue to see efforts by nation-states and others to influence elections in democracies around the world including in Europe," Tom Burt, Microsoft's vice president of customer trust and security, said in a blog post.

"These attacks are not limited to campaigns themselves but often extend to think tanks and non-profit organizations working on topics related to democracy, electoral integrity, and public policy and that are often in contact with government officials," he added.

The attacks on the three high-profile think tanks took place between September and December 2018, according to Microsoft. The company didn't say whether the attackers were successful but said that it quickly notified the organizations that they were being targeted and helped them secure their systems.

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