UK Sanctions Russian and Chinese Firms Suspected of Being ‘Malign Actors’ in Information Warfare

According to Associated Press, Britain announced sanctions on Russian and Chinese entities regarded as malign actors in information warfare, signalling a broader effort to counter hybrid threats.

The measures target the Telegram microblogging channel Rybar and its co-owner Mikhail Sergeevich Zvinchuk, plus the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad—also known as Pravfond and described by Estonian intelligence as a front for the GRU spy agency—and the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, a think-tank run by Alexander Dugin.

Two China-based firms were also sanctioned: i-Soon and the Integrity Technology Group, for their vast and indiscriminate cyber activities against the UK and its allies. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the sanctions come as part of Britain’s response to escalating hybrid threats designed to weaken critical national infrastructure and interfere in democracies. The announcement came during Cooper’s speech at the Foreign Office in London on 9 December 2025.