Key Developments
On 13 July 2026, HM Government said the UK and EU sanctioned Russian cyber networks, while the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs attributed espionage-focused cyber activity in France to Russia’s FSB. HM Government said the measures targeted GRU-linked actors and cybercriminal networks.
Key Statistics
- 24 individuals and entities were targeted in the UK and EU cyber sanctions package, according to HM Government
- 2,100 UK victims were linked to Lumma Stealer activity, according to HM Government
- 3,400 Russia-related sanctions targets have been recorded since the start of the conflict, according to HM Government
- 9 individuals and 4 entities were covered by EU sanctions cited by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
- Historical: 7 individuals and 2 Russian institutes were sanctioned by the UK over chemical weapons activity, according to HM Government
Main Body
On 13 July 2026, HM Government announced a UK and EU sanctions package against Russian cyber networks, and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said France attributed malicious espionage activity to the 16th Center of Russia’s Federal Security Service.
HM Government said the package covered 24 individuals and entities, including GRU members and cybercriminals linked to the Russian state, and was intended to disrupt cyberattacks and disinformation activity affecting European security. The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said Russian activity had targeted French governmental entities and strategic interests over several years.
The measures followed other recent UK actions against Russian state-linked threats. On 6 July 2026, HM Government sanctioned seven individuals and two Russian scientific institutes over chemical weapons development linked to Alexei Navalny and Dawn Sturgess. On 8 July 2026, HM Government said 12 countries had committed more than $50 billion to European deep precision strike capabilities over the next decade.
The linked UK, EU and French actions mattered because HM Government framed Russian cyber operations as a direct threat to European security and democratic systems, while the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs presented attribution as part of France’s response to attacks on national strategic interests. Together, the announcements showed how European governments were using sanctions, public attribution and defence investment to respond to Russian state-linked activity.
