UK sanctions Russian spies, hackers for ‘malicious' cyber activity

News18

6 hours ago

London, Jul 18 (PTI) The UK on Friday imposed sanctions against Russian spies and hackers for allegedly conducting a sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity over many years across Europe, including in the UK.
The latest set of measures unveiled by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) target three units of the Russian military intelligence agency GRU and 18 military intelligence officers.
The British government said that GRU routinely uses cyber and information operations to sow chaos, division and disorder in Ukraine and across the world, with 'devastating real-world consequences".
'GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens," said UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
'The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won't tolerate it. That's why we're taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies… [US President] Putin's hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve. The UK and our Allies support for Ukraine and Europe's security is ironclad," he said.
Russia's Unit 26165, which was sanctioned on Friday, is said to have conducted online reconnaissance to help target missile strikes against Mariupol in Ukraine in 2022 – including the strike that destroyed the Mariupol Theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were murdered.
The GRU military intelligence officers sanctioned are said to be responsible for historically targeting Yulia Skripal's device with malicious malware known as X-Agent – five years before GRU military intelligence officers' failed attempt to murder former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with the deadly Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury.
The FCDO said that in the UK, Russia has targeted media outlets, telecoms providers, political and democratic institutions, and energy infrastructure. The United Kingdom and our international allies are watching Russia and are countering their attacks both publicly and behind the scenes.
The ministry has flagged hybrid threats as cyber-attacks involving hacking government systems or stealing trade secrets; disinformation or spreading false or misleading information online; sabotage or damaging infrastructure or supply chains; and political interference or influencing elections or public opinion.
'The UK government is committed to accelerating its efforts to counter hybrid threats at home, protecting the UK's national security – a key foundation of the Plan for Change – and abroad, working in collaboration with a growing international coalition including all 32 NATO Allies, the EU and its member states, and our partners in the FBI," the FCDO said.
'The Kremlin has also used cyber operations in support of Putin's illegal war – including targeting critical infrastructure like Viasat satellite communications. Some of these attacks were conducted on the eve of the full-scale invasion in 2022 with the express purpose of degrading Ukraine's ability to defend itself," it said.
The UK accused Russia of 'insidious activity" that stretches far beyond Europe. In addition to the GRU Units and officers, the UK government also sanctioned three leaders of 'African Initiative", a social media content mill established and funded by Russia and employing Russian intelligence officers to conduct information operations in West Africa.
This includes reckless attempts to undermine lifesaving global health initiatives in the region by pushing baseless conspiracy theories to further the Kremlin's political agenda, the FCDO said. PTI AK SCY
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First Published:
July 18, 2025, 20:00 IST
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