THE European Union has imposed sanctions on Russian military intelligence officers, hackers, and companies over a long-running cyber espionage campaign aimed at destabilizing the EU. Targeting nine individuals and four entities, the EU accused them of conducting sabotage operations on critical infrastructure since 2010, affecting at least nine countries including France, Germany, and Poland.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot emphasized that these cyber activities aim to capture information or disrupt operations, citing previous attacks on rail infrastructure. The EU's measures particularly focus on the 16th Centre of Russia’s Federal Security Service, which has been tied to various cyber threat groups involved in malicious activities.