EU, UK impose fresh sanctions on Russia over cyberattacks
What's the story
The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) have announced their first joint cyber sanctions package against Russia. The move comes as a response to what they termed as Moscow's "persistent and increasingly reckless attempts to sow chaos and division across Europe." The sanctions target Russian state and cybercriminal proxies involved in malicious activities across Europe, including those deliberately spreading deceptive anti-Ukraine narratives.
Targeted sanctions
GRU military intelligence agency's cyber division targeted
The joint sanctions package targets individuals and entities from the UK and EU actions.
Among them are senior leaders of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, including Vyacheslav Stafeyev, Ivan Senin, and Ivan Kasyanenko.
These individuals were responsible for directing cyber and hybrid threat operations.
The cyber division of GRU Unit 29155 collaborated with cybercriminals such as IMPULS to recruit hackers and cybersecurity specialists from universities across Russia.
Cyber espionage
FSB 16th Centre sanctioned for malicious cyber activities
The EU has also imposed sanctions on nine individuals and four entities linked to Russia's FSB 16th Centre.
This organization has been conducting a wide range of malicious cyber activities since 2010, affecting at least nine European countries.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced France would summon the Russian ambassador and sanction nine individuals and four entities in response to these attacks.
Infrastructure sabotage
EU reveals extent of FSB's cyber campaign across Europe
The cyber activities from the FSB's Centre 16 also targeted government ministries, companies, and service operators.
The aim was either to capture information or sabotage operations like rail infrastructure, as seen in Poland.
The EU revealed that France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, and Finland have all been targeted by this campaign over the years.
Malware crackdown
UK sanctions those behind Lumma Stealer malware
The UK has also sanctioned those behind Lumma Stealer, a malware that lets cybercriminals harvest sensitive data from compromised devices.
Russia has reportedly used credentials stolen by Lumma Stealer for global cyber espionage operations.
The UK's National Crime Agency revealed there have been at least 2,100 victims of Lumma Stealer in the country over the past six months.
Media manipulation
Rybar LLC sanctioned for spreading false narratives about Ukraine
The UK has also sanctioned 10 individuals behind Rybar LLC, a media company funded by the Russian state.
The firm is known for spreading false narratives about Ukraine and interfering in European elections, including those in Moldova and Armenia.
It uses manipulation tactics such as fake "investigations" and AI-driven content to respond rapidly to global events and shape narratives in favor of the Kremlin.