Russia’s cyber war against Europe: UK, EU counterattack with joint sanctions, summon Kremlin envoy
The UK and EU have introduced their first joint cyber sanctions package, targeting 24 individuals and entities over what they say is Russia’s “continued and increasingly reckless attempts to sow chaos and division across Europe”.“The sanctions target Russian state and cybercriminal agents conducting malicious attacks across Europe, including those who deliberately spread deceptive anti-Ukrainian rhetoric. The operation also blamed the FSB’s Center 16 for a Russian cyber attack on Poland’s power grid, which failed but could have left half a million citizens without power during the winter, the Foreign Office said.Those sanctioned include senior GRU leaders Vyacheslav Stafeyev, Ivan Senin and Ivan Kasyanenko, who direct GRU cyber and hybrid threat operations. The cyber unit of GRU 29155 unit works with cybercriminals, including the company IMPULS, to recruit hackers and cyber experts from universities across Russia.
EU targets 16th FSB center
The European Union has imposed sanctions on nine individuals and four entities linked to Russia’s FSB Center 16, saying the center has conducted widespread malicious cyber activity since 2010, affecting at least nine European countries.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrow said France would summon the Russian ambassador and impose sanctions on nine Russian individuals and four Russian entities. He told BFM television that the purpose of cyber activity was to “capture information or disrupt the operation of railway infrastructure, as is the case in Poland”.The EU said Center 16 has been conducting cyber espionage operations against strategic government entities in France since 2010 and against defense industry targets since 2025. In Germany, it targets government entities. In Poland, it carried out destructive operations against critical infrastructure, including heating and power plants.The German Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Russian ambassador and stated that cyber attacks against Germany, EU partners and Ukraine were unacceptable and would be dealt with decisively, including imposing additional sanctions.The EU is also considering imposing a 21st round of sanctions against Moscow, and the EU’s foreign policy chief said more names may be added to the sanctions list.
UK targets disinformation network
The UK also sanctioned the individuals behind Lumma Stealer, malware that enabled cybercriminals to collect sensitive information from infected devices. The UK revealed that Russia used credentials stolen by Lumma Stealer to conduct cyber espionage operations around the world. The National Crime Agency says there have been at least 2,100 Lumma Stealer victims in the UK in the past six months.The new measures also target 10 individuals behind Rybar LLC, a media company resourced by the Russian government that spread false narratives about Ukraine and interfered in European elections, including in Moldova and Armenia.Rybar, with employees across Europe, Asia and South America, uses manipulative tactics such as fake “investigations” and artificial intelligence-driven content to respond quickly to global events and shape the narrative in favor of the Kremlin. It is coordinated in part by the presidential administration, receives funding from the Russian state company Rostec, and collaborates with members of Russian intelligence services.
The campaign against Russian information warfare
The new sanctions come as the UK continues a wider campaign to target Russia’s foreign information warfare. Since October 2024, the UK has sanctioned more than 40 entities and individuals responsible for conducting Russian information warfare, and in May 2026 designated a further 56 disruptors.The UK has previously designated the Social Design Agency, which operates the “Doppelgänger” malicious online network, which impersonates trusted media organizations and spreads pro-Kremlin narratives through cloned websites and fabricated material. In May 2026, the UK designated ANO Strategic Communications Caspian 2030 as a new SDA tool for intervention in the CIS region.Other designated entities include ANO Dialog, which was commissioned by the Russian presidential government to establish a content hub in occupied Ukraine and support sham regional elections, and the Expert Institute for Social Research, which played a direct role in implementing Russian state policy and consolidating control over occupied Ukraine.Britain has so far sanctioned more than 3,400 targets behind Russia’s war and said it would continue to work with allies to target those carrying out hostile activities on behalf of the Kremlin.
