18 foreign spies sanctioned by UK government
The sanctioned individuals and units are implicated in spreading chaos, conducting cyberattacks, and undermining democratic institutions across the continent.
Specific actions include targeting the family of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal with malware in 2013, five years before the Novichok poisoning attempt in Salisbury.
One GRU unit (26165) conducted online reconnaissance on civilian bomb shelters in Mariupol and Kharkiv in 2022, including the Mariupol theatre which was subsequently bombed, killing approximately 600 people.
The sanctions also target the Africa Initiative, which uses Russian intelligence officers for information operations in Africa, and aim to raise awareness and increase the cost for those working for Russian intelligence services.
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