Britain has announced the discovery of a sophisticated Russian digital espionage tool and has imposed sanctions on more than 20 Russian spies, hackers, and agencies. This move comes in response to what London describes as a “campaign of malicious cyber activities” aimed at destabilizing Europe.
According to Reuters, the British Foreign Ministry stated that the sanctions target three units of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency and 18 of its officers. This includes individuals who, according to London, were involved in attacks on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol during the war in Ukraine, as well as the surveillance of former agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, before they were poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent in 2018.
“GRU spies are waging a campaign to destabilize Europe, undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, and endanger the security of British citizens,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement.
It was also revealed that Russia has targeted media outlets, telecommunication providers, political and democratic institutions, and energy infrastructure within the United Kingdom.
While British authorities have consistently accused Moscow of malicious activities—ranging from traditional espionage and attempts to undermine democracy to sabotage and organized assassinations—Moscow has denied all these accusations, labeling them as politically motivated and asserting that Russia poses no threat to Britain.
