The UK and the EU have imposed their first joint cyber sanctions package, targeting 24 individuals and entities over what they described as Russia’s “persistent and increasingly reckless efforts to sow chaos and division across Europe.”“The sanctions target the Russian state and cybercriminals carrying out malicious attacks across Europe, including those that deliberately spread anti-Ukraine disinformation. Britain’s Foreign Office said the action also blamed the FSB’s Center 16 for Russia’s cyberattack on Poland’s energy grid, which failed but may have caused 500,000 citizens to lose power over the winter.Those sanctioned include senior GRU leaders Vyacheslav Stafeyev, Ivan Senin and Ivan Kasyanenko, who directed GRU cyber and hybrid threat operations. The Cyber Division of GRU Unit 29155 worked with cybercriminals, including the company IMPULS, to recruit hackers and cyber experts from universities across Russia.
EU targets FSB’s 16th center
The European Union imposed sanctions on nine individuals and four entities linked to Russia’s FSB 16th Center, which it said has conducted a wide range of malicious cyber activities affecting at least nine European countries since 2010.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France would summon the Russian ambassador and impose sanctions on nine Russian individuals and four Russian entities. He told BFM TV that cyber activities are aimed at “obtaining information, or for example, sabotaging the operation of railway infrastructure, as happened in Poland.”The EU said the 16th Center has carried out cyber espionage against strategic government entities in France since 2010 and defense industry targets in 2025. In Germany, it has targeted government institutions. In Poland, it has carried out disruptive sabotage campaigns against critical infrastructure, including combined heating and power plants.Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Russian ambassador, adding that cyberattacks against Germany, EU partners and Ukraine are unacceptable and will be dealt with decisively, including through additional sanctions.The EU is also considering a 21st package of sanctions against Moscow, with the bloc’s foreign policy chief saying additional names could be added to the sanctions list.
UK targets disinformation network
The UK has also sanctioned the individuals behind Lumma Stealer, a malware that enables cyber criminals to collect sensitive information from compromised devices. The UK revealed that Russia used the stolen credentials of Lumma Stealer to conduct a global cyber espionage campaign. The National Crime Agency said at least 2,100 Lummas have been victims of theft in Britain in the past six months.The new measures also target 10 individuals from Rybar LLC, a Russian state-funded media company responsible for spreading falsehoods about Ukraine and interfering in European elections, including in Moldova and Armenia.Rybar, which also has staff across Europe, Asia and South America, uses manipulation tactics, including fake “investigations” and AI-powered content, to react rapidly to global events and shape narratives in the Kremlin’s favor. It is partly coordinated by the presidential administration, receives funding from the Russian state corporation Rostec and works with members of Russian intelligence services.
Campaign against Russian information warfare
The new sanctions come as Britain continues its sweeping campaign against Russian foreign information warfare. Since October 2024, the UK has sanctioned more than 40 entities and individuals responsible for delivering Russia’s information warfare, with an additional 56 interference actors designated in May 2026.The UK has previously designated the Social Design Agency, which operates “doppelganger” malicious online networks that impersonate credible media outlets to spread pro-Kremlin narratives through cloned websites and fabricated content. In May 2026, the UK designated ANO Strategic Communications Caspian 2030 as a new SDA vehicle for intervention in the CIS region.Other designated entities include ANO Dialogue, which has been tasked by the Russian Presidential Administration with setting up material centers in occupied Ukraine and supporting sham regional elections, and the Expert Institute for Social Research, which has played a direct role in implementing Russian state policy to establish control over the occupied territory in Ukraine.To date, Britain has sanctioned more than 3,400 targets behind Russia’s war effort and said it would continue to work with allies to deter those pursuing hostile activity on behalf of the Kremlin.