UK and EU strike Russian cyber networks with new sanctions
UK and EU鈥痟it back with first joint cyber sanctions package
- New sanctions target the Russian state鈥檚 persistent and increasingly reckless attempts to sow chaos and division鈥痑cross Europe.鈥��
- UK and EU鈥痟it back with first joint cyber sanctions package,鈥痑s they听attribute听Russia鈥檚 cyber-attack鈥痮n Poland.鈥��
- UK sanctions and exposes Russian state and鈥痗ybercriminal鈥痯roxies carrying out malicious attacks across Europe and听sanctions鈥痶hose deliberately spreading deceptive anti-Ukraine narratives.鈥��
The鈥疪ussian鈥痵tate and its鈥痗riminal听networks responsible for orchestrating cyber-attacks,鈥痠nterfering鈥痠n elections and spreading malicious鈥痑nti-Ukraine narratives鈥痑cross Europe have today听been听sanctioned听by the UK.鈥�
Today鈥檚 action targets听24鈥痠ndividuals鈥痑nd entities鈥痓ehind鈥痶he destructive cyber and hybrid鈥痮perations鈥痠ncluding cybercriminals鈥痠nvolved in proxy networks鈥痩inked to the Russian鈥疘ntelligence鈥疭ervices听(RIS).听听
This includes听sanctioning GRU senior leadership figures Vyacheslav Stafeyev, Ivan Senin and Ivan Kasyanenko for their role in directing GRU cyber and hybrid threat operations.听GRU Unit 29155 cyber division worked with cybercriminals, including the company IMPULS, to recruit hackers and cyber specialists from universities and academies across Russia.听
In听addition,听the听UK together with听EU member states听is today听attributing the attack on Poland鈥檚 energy grid听to听Russia鈥檚 FSB Centre 16. This reckless听attack failed but could have caused 500,000 citizens to lose electricity听in the depths of听winter. It听is another example of the听Russian state鈥檚听irresponsible attempts听to sow chaos across Europe.听
As Russia struggles to sustain its ailing war effort in Ukraine,听the Russian Intelligence Service听agencies听have tasked cybercriminals to collect intelligence to support Russia鈥檚 military and foreign听policy听objectives,听threatening security across Europe. 听This is another example of Russia using its criminal networks to do its dirty work.听听听
Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper said:鈥��
These sanctions鈥痵trike at the core of the cybercriminal networks propping up the鈥疪ussian state鈥檚鈥痑ggression, and the UK and EU are sending a clear message that Russia cannot hide鈥痓ehind its use of these鈥痯roxy groups.鈥�
From directing criminals to鈥痶argeting听businesses,听and听striking Poland鈥檚 energy grid in鈥痶he depths of winter, the鈥疪ussian state鈥痠s sinking to new鈥痩ows鈥痠n its attempts鈥痶o鈥痷ndermine European security.听听
Together with our partners, Britain will continue to call out this鈥痓ehaviour,鈥痓olster our鈥痳esilience鈥痑nd鈥痳espond鈥痶o鈥痶he hybrid threat鈥痯osed by鈥痶he鈥疪ussian state.鈥疶his will not deter us from supporting Ukraine.
The UK is also sanctioning individuals听behind鈥疞umma鈥疭tealer听which enables鈥痗ybercriminals to collect sensitive information from compromised鈥痙evices at鈥痵cale.鈥疶he UK can reveal that Russia听has听used Lumma Stealer鈥檚 stolen credentials to conduct cyber espionage operations against targets globally to support the Kremlin鈥檚 objectives.听听听
According to the National Crime Agency,听within the听last鈥痵ix months, there have been at least 2,100听Lumma听Stealer听victims in the UK.听Today鈥檚 action further clamps down on鈥痶hese illicit cyber networks and their attempts to directly harm British businesses.鈥�
New measures鈥痑lso鈥痶arget鈥�10鈥痠ndividuals听behind Rybar LLC鈥痠ncluding directors, senior听management,听and content designers. The听media company听is听resourced by the Russian听state听and听is听responsible for听spreading false narratives about Ukraine and interfering in鈥疎uropean鈥痚lections, including in Moldova and Armenia.鈥�
The UK鈥痑longside our allies will continue to鈥痚xpose鈥痑nd disrupt鈥痶hose who carry out malign activity on behalf of the鈥疪ussian听state鈥痑nd鈥痵eek鈥痶o spread disinformation that undermines democracy.鈥��
To date the UK has sanctioned over 3,400 targets behind Russia鈥檚 war effort and will continue to work alongside our allies to bear down听on听those carrying out hostile activity on behalf of the Kremlin, spreading dangerous鈥痩ies and undermining democratic values.鈥�
Notes to editors
Relevant links:
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Designations听听
- Vyacheslav Stanislavovich STAFEYEV听
- Ivan Sergeyevich KASYANENKO听
- Ivan Alekseyevich SENIN听
- Aleksandr Vladimirovich SHEPELEV听
- Roman Aleksandrovich PUNTUS听
- Dmitriy Aleksandrovich VORONOV听
- Evgeniy Viktorovich BASHEV听
- OOO IMPULS (Russian Limited Liability Company)听
- Sultan Omarovich OMAROV听
- Yuliya Vladimirovna PANKRATOVA听
- Denis Olegovich DEGTYARENKO听
- Maksim Evgeniyevich VORONIN听
- Maksim Aleksandrovich GORDIENKO听
- Marat Shaigovich ZHURKIN听
- Aleksandr Klimovich KAN听
- Tatiana Petrovna KOSTEROVA听
- Olga Sergeevna KUZNETSOVA听
- Natalia Vitalyevna CHEBOTAEVA听
- Evgeniia Aleksandrovna GREBNEVA听
- Maksim Vitalyevich MATVEEV听
- Aleksandr Igorevich MININ听
- Daria ROSLIAKOVA听
- Valeriia Vladimirovna ZVINCHUK听
- Denis Valeryevich VULF