Melike Pala, Burak Bir and Aysu Bicer
13 July 2026•Update: 13 July 2026
The EU on Monday imposed sanctions on nine individuals and four entities it accused of contributing to Russia-linked cyber activities targeting the bloc, its member states, and international partners.
The European Council said the sanctions target Russian military intelligence (GRU) officers, cybercriminals, self-proclaimed hacktivists, and private companies allegedly involved in cyber operations aimed at destabilizing the EU.
The bloc said the measures were introduced in response to a range of cyber activities carried out through what it described as a Russian-linked cyber ecosystem involving state and non-state actors.
According to the EU, the targeted individuals and entities contributed to cyber operations affecting public services, critical infrastructure, and government networks, causing disruptions and financial losses.
The bloc also accused Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) of controlling several cyber threat groups, including TURLA, and carrying out cyber espionage and disruptive operations against European targets.
The EU said members, including France, Germany, Poland, the Greek Cypriot Administration, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, and Finland, have been affected by Russia-linked cyber activities.
The bloc said it would continue strengthening cooperation with international partners, including NATO, to support what it described as a “free, open, stable and secure cyberspace.”
Further sanctions on individuals, entities
Separately, the European Council said it decided to impose restrictive measures on four individuals and five entities "responsible for serious human rights violations" in Russia.
The EU noted the violations include “the repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and for undermining democracy and the rule of law.”
"The listings agreed today include VK Company – also known as VKontakte – and its daughter company Communication Platform, responsible for developing and managing the phone application Max App, under supervision by the FSB," the statement said.
According to the statement, the app comes pre-installed on all mobile devices sold in Russia and includes extensive surveillance features, later used for "repressive actions" against users criticizing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine or posting other content banned by authorities.
"The EU is also imposing restrictive measures on Citadel, VAS Experts and Norsi-Trans, companies which manufacture, develop, and sell hardware and software related to so called System of Operative Investigative Measures (SORM) – a surveillance system used to control Internet and mobile communications in Russia."
It added that the four sanctioned individuals hold leadership positions in these companies and are therefore responsible for “supporting serious abuses of human rights and for repression of civil society and democratic opposition in Russia.”
The UK also announced a new package of sanctions targeting Russian cyber networks, which it accused of attempting to spread disruption and division across Europe.
“Today’s action targets 24 individuals and entities behind the destructive cyber and hybrid operations including cybercriminals involved in proxy networks linked to the Russian Intelligence Services,” the government said in a statement.
“This includes sanctioning GRU senior leadership figures Vyacheslav Stafeyev, Ivan Senin and Ivan Kasyanenko for their role in directing GRU cyber and hybrid threat operations.”
