The UK government has sanctioned 18 Russian spies and three military intelligence units from Russia’s GRU for carrying out a sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity, according to the Foreign Office.
The move marks the most significant action against Russian spies sanctioned by the UK since the Salisbury Novichok attack in 2018.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that these operatives were executing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s orders to “spread chaos and disorder” across Europe. The campaign, he said, was a direct attempt to undermine European stability in response to the West’s continued support for Ukraine.
GRU Units Targeted for Cyberattacks in the UK and Ukraine
Among the units sanctioned is GRU Unit 26165, which British intelligence believes was behind a deadly strike on the Mariupol theatre in Ukraine that killed hundreds of civilians. The same unit is also linked to the deployment of spyware on the phone of Yulia Skripal, who, along with her father Sergei Skripal, was poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury in 2018.
The UK Foreign Office revealed that Russian intelligence has also targeted British media outlets, telecom companies, political institutions, and energy infrastructure in a wide-reaching campaign to destabilize the UK.
EU Unveils Strongest Sanctions Yet; UK Joins Oil Price Cap Reduction
Simultaneously, the European Union announced its 18th round of sanctions on Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including a ban on transactions related to the Nord Stream pipeline and a lower price cap on Russian oil. The UK has joined the EU in enforcing the revised oil price cap. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said this was part of Europe “turning the screw on the Kremlin’s war chest.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the EU sanctions “essential and timely,” as Europe seeks to increase pressure on Moscow to end its war effort.
Russia Responds: Medvedev Dismisses Sanctions Impact
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev insisted that Russia’s economy would withstand the sanctions, and vowed that strikes on Ukraine would continue “with increasing force.” Despite 18 rounds of EU sanctions, Moscow has boosted oil exports to China and India, using a global shadow fleet to bypass restrictions.
UK Targets Russian Disinformation Operations in Africa
The UK also placed sanctions on three leaders of the “African Initiative,” a Russia-backed disinformation campaign operating in West Africa. British officials described it as a tool for spreading pro-Russian propaganda and disrupting regional stability.
Foreign Secretary Lammy emphasized that Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics will not go unchecked: “The Kremlin should be in no doubt — we see what they are trying to do in the shadows, and we won’t tolerate it. Putin’s aggression will never break our resolve.”
Sanctioned individuals and entities will face frozen financial assets, travel bans, and additional penalties designed to limit their ability to operate internationally.
