The European Union and Britain on Monday imposed coordinated sanctions on Russia over cyber attacks in Europe, accusing Moscow’s FSB intelligence agency of involvement in digital strikes.
Brussels said it was sanctioning nine people and four entities, while London said it was adding 24 names to its blacklist.
The British government described the measures as the first joint cyber package with the EU, saying they target the Russian state’s persistent attempts to sow chaos and division across Europe.
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Those sanctioned, facing asset freezes and visa bans, include officers of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency and alleged cybercriminals working with the Russian state.
The EU and Britain said a recent attempted cyber attack on critical infrastructure in Poland, including its power grid, was the latest in a series of such operations linked to the FSB’s Centre 16 unit.
The British foreign office said the failed attack could have left 500,000 people without electricity in the middle of winter, calling it another example of Russia’s attempts to destabilise Europe.
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France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, said the Russian ambassador would be summoned in the coming days over the attacks.
Barrot said the targeted attacks had aimed at government ministries, companies and service operators, seeking either to capture information or sabotage operations such as rail infrastructure, as happened in Poland.
The French foreign ministry said one of the sanctioned groups had claimed responsibility for destabilising actions against the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The EU said France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania and Finland were among the countries targeted in a campaign spanning several years.
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Western intelligence agencies have accused the FSB’s Centre 16 of using malware for decades to try to gain access to and spy on countries worldwide.
Britain and the EU have led efforts to sanction Moscow since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.