The EU and Great Britain have teamed up to launch coordinated sanctions against Russia following a wave of aggressive cyber attacks across Europe. Western authorities are directly blaming Moscow's intelligence services for the digital strikes.
The joint response comes as Western security officials warn that Russia has stepped up its digital campaign to disrupt European stability.
As part of the joint effort, officials in Brussels announced sanctions against nine people and four organisations. At the same time, the British government added 24 targets to its financial blacklist.
British officials confirmed this is the first time the UK and the EU have launched a joint cyber sanctions package. Leaders stated that the measures are designed to halt persistent attempts by the Russian state to cause chaos across European nations.
The new penalties include strict asset freezes and travel bans. The restrictions target high-ranking officers within Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, alongside independent cybercriminals who are accused of working directly with the Kremlin.
Western intelligence services also revealed that a recent cyber attack aimed to take down critical infrastructure in Poland, including the national electricity grid. Security agencies traced the operation back to an espionage unit known as Centre 16, which is run by the Russian FSB.
According to the British Foreign Office, the digital attack on the Polish network ultimately failed. However, officials warned that the strike could have left 500,000 citizens without electricity during the coldest months of winter.
In response to the growing threat, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced plans to summon the Russian ambassador in Paris. The minister explained that recent hacking attempts have targeted government offices, private businesses, and transport operators to steal data or sabotage networks.
The French Foreign Ministry also noted that the newly sanctioned list includes a hacking collective that previously claimed responsibility for trying to disrupt the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
European officials stated that the Russian cyber campaign has targeted multiple nations over several years, including Germany, the Netherlands, Cyprus, and Finland. Western agencies have long accused the FSB of using hidden malware to spy on foreign governments around the globe.
