EU condemns Russia's 'malicious cyber activities,' announces fresh sanctions

The European Union and its member states have denounced Russia's alleged malicious cyber activities, accusing Moscow of leveraging a cyber ecosystem comprising state and non-state actors to conduct espionage and sabotage operations. France's Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, said Russia's ambassador in Paris would be summoned over what he described as a "vast cyber campaign" targeting several European countries. Alongside the EU, the United Kingdom also announced similar sanctions against those allegedly involved.

According to Barrot, the attacks targeted government ministries, companies and critical service operators with the aim of carrying out espionage and sabotage. Speaking to BFMTV-RMC, he said the objective was either to "capture information or sabotage operations, for example the rail infrastructure, as was the case in Poland."

An official statement from the European Union said that for years, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has conducted a wide range of malicious cyber activities with growing severity, affecting the EU, its member states and international partners, particularly Ukraine. The EU alleged that these operations have included the infiltration of government networks and sabotage of critical infrastructure.

More from Tech

The bloc said several countries—including France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania and Finland—have been targeted by these operations.

According to the statement, France has been the target of cyber espionage by the FSB's 16th Centre against strategic government entities since 2010, with the country's defence industry also allegedly targeted in 2025. Germany's government institutions have similarly been targeted, while the 16th Centre recently carried out disruptive sabotage operations against critical infrastructure in Poland, including combined heating and power plants, the EU alleged.

Who's behind the attacks?

The EU said cybercriminals, self-proclaimed hacktivists and private companies linked to Russia have been operating under instructions from Moscow. It accused Russia of misusing this cyber ecosystem to target public services and critical infrastructure across Europe.

"We strongly condemn Russia's behaviour and misuse of this cyber ecosystem, targeting public services and critical infrastructure, causing disruptions and financial losses," the statement added.

EU's response

In response to what it described as Russia's recognised malicious cyber activities, the European Union imposed restrictive measures on nine individuals and four entities.

The sanctions target alleged officers of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), along with cybercriminals, hacktivists and private companies accused of supporting Moscow's efforts to destabilise the EU through cyber operations.

The latest measures come as France prepares to host a summit of Ukraine's allies, known as the Coalition of the Willing, in Paris on Monday.

Previous attacks

Sweden recently revealed that it had foiled a Russian cyberattack targeting a thermal power plant in April last year. The disclosure came after Poland, Norway, Denmark and Latvia warned that Russia was increasingly targeting critical infrastructure across Europe.

In November 2025, Polish authorities also thwarted a planned cyberattack on the country's railway network. A month later, the FSB allegedly plotted an attack on Poland's electricity grid that, if successful, could have left around 500,000 civilians without power.

European authorities have also linked Russia to a series of mysterious drone sightings near airports and military bases across Western Europe, as well as repeated incursions into NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft.