EU imposes new sanctions against Russian cyber espionage
Intelligence officers, hackers and private companies linked to the FSB and the GRU are under scrutiny, whilst France announces similar measures and summons the Russian ambassador
The European Union is escalating its confrontation with Moscow on the cyber front as well. Brussels has announced a new package of sanctions against nine individuals and four entities believed to be involved in espionage, sabotage and cyber-attacks attributed to Russia, targeting military intelligence officers, cybercriminals, hacktivist groups and private companies accused of supporting the Kremlin’s destabilisation strategy.
The announcement came from the High Representative for EU foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, who accused Moscow of utilising a veritable “cyber ecosystem” comprising state and non-state actors. “The EU and its Member States condemn Russia’s malicious cyber activities and its exploitation of an ecosystem comprising intelligence services, criminal groups, hacktivists and private companies,” she said.
The 16th FSB Centre in the spotlight
For the first time, Brussels has openly identified the 16th Centre of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) as the party responsible, naming it as the coordinator of various cyber-threat groups, including the well-known Turla group, which has for years been linked to cyber-espionage campaigns against Western governments.
According to the European assessment, the FSB’s headquarters is said to have carried out increasingly sophisticated operations against EU Member States and international partners for years, with a particular focus on Ukraine. These activities are said to have included infiltration of government networks and sabotage operations against critical infrastructure.
The countries affected include France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania and Finland.
