The United Kingdom announced new sanctions on Russian media outlets and online platforms on Tuesday, as Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that Western nations must intensify efforts to counter information warfare conducted by hostile foreign states.
Cooper said the UK is sanctioning the Telegram microblogging channel Rybar, the Foundation for Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad—described by Estonian intelligence as a front organization linked to Russia’s GRU intelligence agency—as well as the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, a research institute led by Russian far-right ideologue Aleksandr Dugin.
Additionally, two China-based companies were sanctioned for their “wide-ranging and uncontrolled cyber activities” targeting the UK and its allies, Cooper noted.
Speaking at the Foreign Office in London, Cooper emphasized that the UK and its partners are facing increasing hybrid threats, designed to weaken national infrastructure, undermine strategic interests, and interfere in democratic processes.
“We must call this what it is: Russia’s information warfare. And we are defending ourselves,” she said.
Cooper added that the threats include acts of sabotage, as well as disinformation campaigns amplified across social networks using generative AI and manipulated videos, intended to erode Western support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
British officials have identified fake websites and political advertisements during recent elections in Moldova, along with fabricated news sites spreading false video claims about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife—content aimed at weakening international backing for Ukraine.
Cooper delivered her remarks on the 100th anniversary of the Locarno Treaties, a set of agreements among European nations designed to strengthen peace after World War I. She underscored the importance of international cooperation at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has overturned longstanding alliances and raised doubts about the American commitment to NATO.
Cooper, who met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Monday, said the discussions were “extremely clear about the strength of the U.S. commitment to NATO.”
