EU expands sanctions against Russia over alleged cyber activities

The European Union has expanded its sanctions against Russia, citing what it described as malicious cyber activities and the use of a cyber ecosystem involving both state and non-state actors targeting EU member states, according to a statement from the European Council.

The EU alleged that the 16th Centre of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) oversees several cyber threat groups operating against European countries, including the TURLA hacking group.

According to the statement, the FSB has conducted a wide range of alleged malicious cyber operations over many years, with activities becoming increasingly serious and affecting not only EU member states but also international partners, including Ukraine.

The EU said the operations involved intrusions into government networks and sabotage of critical infrastructure. France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, and Finland were identified as targets of the alleged cyberattacks.

In response, the bloc imposed sanctions on nine individuals and four entities. The restrictive measures target officers of Russia’s Main Directorate of the General Staff, as well as hackers and private companies accused of involvement in the alleged cyber operations.

By Jeyhun Aghazada