Latest news with #Skripal
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
UK sanctions Russian spies over deadly Ukraine theatre strike
The UK sanctioned 18 officers and three units from Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU) on Friday over their role in a 2022 air strike on a theatre in Ukraine that killed hundreds of civilians. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the targeted GRU personnel were responsible for preparations leading to the bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theatre, where civilians had taken refuge and painted the word "children" outside in large letters hoping to deter attacks. The strike on 16 March 2022 is believed to have killed around 600 people, including many children, according to an investigation by the Associated Press. Western officials have blamed Russia for over 70 attacks since 2022, aimed at destabilising Europe and weakening support for Ukraine. "GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens," said Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The UK alleges that GRU Unit 26165 conducted online reconnaissance of civilian bomb shelters in Mariupol and Kharkiv in the days leading up to the attack. In addition to their role in Ukraine, the officers are accused of past operations including targeting the family of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned alongside his daughter with the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in 2018. The same GRU unit is believed to have used malware in 2013 to spy on the email account of Skripal's daughter, Yulia. The FCDO described Unit 26165 as a "highly sophisticated, well-established cyber actor" involved in intelligence gathering and hack and leak operations against Ukraine, NATO and European countries. It also linked the unit to cyberattacks on the US Democratic Party in 2016, French President Emmanuel Macron's 2017 campaign and attempted interference in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Another GRU division, Unit 74455, was said to have launched cyberattacks against the UK Foreign Office and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory during the Skripal investigation. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre added that Russian hackers had developed malware designed to gain unauthorised access to Microsoft cloud accounts. Friday's sanctions also targeted the African Initiative, an outlet allegedly used by Russian intelligence operatives to conduct disinformation campaigns in Africa, including efforts to weaken public health programmes and destabilise local governments. While the immediate impact of the sanctions — typically asset freezes and travel bans — may be limited, British officials said they aim to raise the cost of involvement in hostile acts and restrict international travel.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Britain will not be intimidated by Moscow spies, writes Foreign Secretary DAVID LAMMY as he sanctions 21 Russian operatives
Murky Moscow spy plots – these make for a great thriller. But the reality is much more serious. Russian intelligence has long posed a threat to Britain. Kremlin operatives have never 'just' been in the business of stealing secrets from us and our allies. The methods may have evolved, but the intent remains chillingly familiar. Soviet spies once stopped at nothing to murder dissidents and gain an edge over the West. Across the world, they operated in the shadows, poisoning enemies, spreading disinformation, and destabilising democracies. Today, their successors in the GRU, Russia 's military intelligence service, continue that dark tradition. I remember all too well the horror of Alexander Litvinenko's murder in 2006, recklessly poisoned with radioactive polonium in a London hotel. I was in government then, and it felt miraculous more Londoners did not die as a result. In 2018, Russian operatives were equally reckless. Incredibly, Sergei and Yulia Skripal survived their poisoning with a military-grade nerve agent in Salisbury. But the attack killed Dawn Sturgess, left Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey seriously ill, and could have claimed many more lives if not for the swift response of our emergency services. We know a great deal about how Russian operatives work. Investigations into these and other attacks reveal many patterns. One is that cyber operations often lay the groundwork. In the Skripal case, GRU Unit 26165 previously targeted Yulia Skripal's email accounts with malware before the attempted murder. The same unit conducted online reconnaissance on civilian shelters in Mariupol in Ukraine in March 2022 – only one day before the Mariupol Theatre was bombed, killing innocent civilians, including children. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader GRU campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens. That is why today I am sanctioning 21 Russian operatives. These individuals are responsible for cyber and hybrid operations targeting Britain and some of our closest allies. We are acting following close collaboration with the FBI and with vocal support of NATO allies. And the Government is strongly committed to deepening our defence and hybrid cooperation with friends in Europe as well. In just a few months, we've agreed a new Security and Defence Partnership with the EU, a Lancaster House 2.0 Declaration with France, the Kensington Treaty with Germany and the biggest uplift in NATO defence spending in the history of the Alliance. Together, these agreements send a clear message: Europe is toughening up. But these sanctions are not just a signal. They have real bite, restricting the movement and financial access of those responsible for malign GRU activity. They expose the GRU's methods and personnel to public scrutiny. And they make it easier for us to share intelligence with partners so they too can prepare for future threats. And this is just one of the measures we are taking. Much of our work to deter these threats is necessarily secret. But with the Spending Review committing £600 million to improve our intelligence services' capabilities and the Foreign Office establishing a new counter-hybrid taskforce, we are ready to counter Russia's new age of sabotage and subterfuge. By shining a light on the GRU and their operations, we make it harder for them to act with impunity. That makes Britain safer, which is fundamental to this government's Plan for Change. We will not be cowed by those who seek to do us harm. The GRU's operatives may hide behind screens and shadows, but we see them clearly – and we will act decisively to stop them.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Could a hostile state have set fire to the PM's house?
Of all the possible culprits for the suspected arson attack on Sir Keir Starmer's private home, the least likely perpetrator is a hostile state. Russia is targeting Britain and every other European member of Nato in a 'grey zone' or 'hybrid' campaign, encompassing actions short of armed conflict. This generally includes disinformation operations and physical sabotage, particularly against any infrastructure linked to Ukraine. Last year, arsonists burned down a warehouse in London belonging to a Ukrainian business. Two British men admitted to being part of this group; one has pleaded guilty to taking money from a foreign intelligence service. But Russia's 'grey zone' campaign is not known to have included any attacks on individuals in Britain, at least not since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. So far Russian intelligence appears to have stuck to sabotage and disinformation without climbing any further up the escalatory ladder. The higher rungs might in theory include targeting high-profile individuals. But firebombing a property linked to the Prime Minister would amount to leaping to the top of the escalatory ladder, skipping every rung in between, making it unlikely that Russia or any other hostile state would have been involved. In the past, of course, Russian intelligence has targeted individuals in Britain, murdering Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006 and trying to kill Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018. The latter incident claimed the life of Dawn Sturgess, a British mother-of-three, who happened to come into contact with the Novichok nerve agent used against Skripal. But Russia considered both Skripal and Litvinenko to be its own citizens who had betrayed their country by working for British intelligence. Trying to kill them would have been seen in Moscow as justified retribution rather than action against the British state itself. The same applies to Iranian intelligence, which has also targeted individuals in Britain. But in every known case, these were Iranian dissidents or Iranian journalists critical of the regime. There is no public example of the Iranian state singling out a British politician, let alone one so senior as the Prime Minister. Identifying two homes and one car linked to Sir Keir would have required planning and sophistication, but this would still have been possible for a well-motivated individual or group. So while it is not impossible that a foreign state is involved, the finger of suspicion at least initially will probably point towards radical campaigners or activists. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MP urges UK to 'resist appeasement' of Russia
The MP for Salisbury has urged the government to "resist appeasement" of Russia on the seventh anniversary of the Novichok poisonings. Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and former police officer Nick Bailey, were all poisoned by the nerve agent, in the Wiltshire city in March 2018. More than 80 people suffered symptoms and mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died in July 2018 after exposure to Novichok which had been left in a discarded perfume bottle in nearby Amesbury. John Glen told MPs in the House of Commons: "An enduring peace can only be achieved if we resist appeasement and ensure that we have a secure arrangement with Europe and the US hopefully fully engaged." Mr Glen added this was "absolutely clear to the people of Salisbury, as it is to the people of this country". More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire During business questions in the Commons, Glen, a Conservative former minister, spoke of the impact the attacks had on his Salisbury constituency and asked for a debate on the "role of Russia in the world". He said that the poisonings had "an enormous impact on the way of life in Salisbury for several months". Glen added: "Please could we have a debate on the position of Russia in the world at a time of changing geopolitics. "We need to discuss that urgently and discuss the role of Russia in the world going forward." Responding, Commons leader Lucy Powell said: "This is not some separate or foreign incident just affecting Ukraine. "It has directly affected this country and direct consequences for us, and that's why as a whole house, we stand steadfast in our support for Ukraine." She said the government was working "night and day" to build global alliances "to ensure that there is that long-lasting security and peace" across Europe and the world. In November 2024, Jonathan Allen, director general of defence and intelligence at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, told the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would have authorised the assassination attempt on Mr Skripal, because of the "enormous" reputational risk it would have posed to Russia. Also speaking at the inquiry, Michael Mansfield KC said the threat to Mr Skripal from Russia was "manifestly obvious" and there had been "an abject failure by the United Kingdom government to protect the United Kingdom public". The Russian government has always denied involvement in the Salisbury poisonings and the Embassy of the Russian Federation has said the British government "hastily assigned false blame to Russia" for the poisonings. In a statement on 4 March, it said the government's "destructive processes" had "enabled hostile forces within the UK to perfect their anti-Russian playbook and have therefore contributed to a broader security crisis in Europe". The embassy called the allegations that Russia was to blame "unsubstantiated", used "under the absurd presumption of guilt in support of a phantom 'Russian menace'". Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Official believes Putin ordered Novichok poisoning Murder inquiry after Novichok woman dies 'Many lethal doses' of Novichok used in poisonings Novichok inquiry: What have we learnt? House of Commons
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Salisbury MP urges UK to "resist appeasement" of Russia on Novichok poisonings anniversary
The MP for Salisbury has urged the government to "resist appeasement" of Russia on the seventh anniversary of the Novichok and Yulia Skripal, and former police officer Nick Bailey, were all poisoned by the nerve agent, in the Wiltshire city in March than 80 people suffered symptoms and mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess died in July 2018 after exposure to Novichok which had been left in a discarded perfume bottle in nearby Glen told MPs in the House of Commons: "An enduring peace can only be achieved if we resist appeasement and ensure that we have a secure arrangement with Europe and the US hopefully fully engaged." Mr Glen added this was "absolutely clear to the people of Salisbury, as it is to the people of this country". During business questions in the Commons, Glen, a Conservative former minister, spoke of the impact the attacks had on his Salisbury constituency and asked for a debate on the "role of Russia in the world".He said that the poisonings had "an enormous impact on the way of life in Salisbury for several months".Glen added: "Please could we have a debate on the position of Russia in the world at a time of changing geopolitics."We need to discuss that urgently and discuss the role of Russia in the world going forward." Responding, Commons leader Lucy Powell said: "This is not some separate or foreign incident just affecting Ukraine."It has directly affected this country and direct consequences for us, and that's why as a whole house, we stand steadfast in our support for Ukraine."She said the government was working "night and day" to build global alliances "to ensure that there is that long-lasting security and peace" across Europe and the world. In November 2024, Jonathan Allen, director general of defence and intelligence at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, told the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would have authorised the assassination attempt on Mr Skripal, because of the "enormous" reputational risk it would have posed to speaking at the inquiry, Michael Mansfield KC said the threat to Mr Skripal from Russia was "manifestly obvious" and there had been "an abject failure by the United Kingdom government to protect the United Kingdom public". 'Anti-Russian playbook' The Russian government has always denied involvement in the Salisbury poisonings and the Embassy of the Russian Federation has said the British government "hastily assigned false blame to Russia" for the poisonings. In a statement on 4 March, it said the government's "destructive processes" had "enabled hostile forces within the UK to perfect their anti-Russian playbook and have therefore contributed to a broader security crisis in Europe".The embassy called the allegations that Russia was to blame "unsubstantiated", used "under the absurd presumption of guilt in support of a phantom 'Russian menace'".
