EU sanctions Russian officers, firms over yearslong cyber spying

The European Union on Monday placed sanctions on nine Russian military intelligence officers, hackers and four private companies it links to a cyber espionage and sabotage campaign that the EU says has been active since 2010.

The European Council stated the targeted individuals and entities “contribute to Russia’s efforts to destabilize the EU, its member states and international partners.” The package singles out the 16th Centre of Russia’s Federal Security Service, which the council says controls several cyber threat groups.

The council said the operations have occurred in at least nine countries and hit government networks and critical infrastructure, including heating plants, power facilities and rail systems. The statement named France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania and Finland among the places targeted.

The EU did not publish the names of the nine people or the four companies. The council noted that designated entities can include companies, government agencies, banks or other organizations.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced France will summon the Russian ambassador and described the cyber activities as aimed at capturing information or sabotaging systems, citing past incidents affecting railway infrastructure in Poland.

Sweden has attributed a cyberattack on a district heating plant to a pro‑Russian group with links to Russian security services. Officials in Poland, Norway, Denmark and Latvia have reported interference and attacks on critical infrastructure in recent years.

The sanctions are intended to freeze any assets the listed individuals hold in the EU and bar them from entering the bloc. The measures will also restrict the operations of the designated companies. The council noted the designations focus on people who played operational, technical or logistical roles in the network.

The EU has applied cyber-related restrictions on Russian-linked actors before, citing election interference and disruptions to infrastructure in earlier actions.