Revealed: Russian spies sanctioned for cyber attacks including on Salisbury Novichok victim Yulia Skripal
Dozens of Russian spies have been sanctioned by the Government - including 18 military intelligence officers who the Foreign Office says are responsible for malicious cyber-attacks on Britain.
Listen to this article
The Foreign Office has announced that three Russian military intelligence agency units have been sanctioned, alongside the 18 officers.
The sanctions include individuals held responsible for targeting Yulia Skripal with the 'X-Agent' malware five years before her attempted murder in Salisbury.
Read More: UK sanctions Russian spies at heart of Putin's regime over ‘campaign to destabilise Europe’
Read More: Russia could launch 'preventative strikes' on the West if 'necessary', Putin ally warns
GRU officers later attempted to murder Ms Skripal later on the streets of the Wiltshire city.
The Government accused the GRU of using cyber and information warfare to "sow chaos, division and disorder in Ukraine and across the world".
The sanctioned Unit 26165 of the GRU are accused of conducting online reconnaissance to help target missiles against Mariupol in Ukraine, including the bombing of the Mariupol Theatre which killed hundreds of civilians, including children, were murdered.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: "GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens," Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
"The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won't tolerate it."
He said the UK was taking "decisive action" with the sanctions against Russian spies.
"Putin's hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve. The UK and our allies' support for Ukraine and Europe's security is ironclad."
The sanctioned individuals and organisations include:
- Aleksandr Vladimirovich Osadchuk
- Yevgeniy Mikhaylovich Serbriakov
- Anatoliy Sergeyvich Kovalev
- Artem Valeryvich Ochichenko
- The 161st Specialist Training Centre (TsPS) (Unit 29155) of the GRU
- Vladislav Yevgenyevich Borovkov
- Nikolay Aleksandrovich Korchagin
- Yuriy Federovich Denisov
- Vitaly Aleksandrovich Shevchenko
- Ivan Sergeyevich Yermakov
- Aleksey Viktorovich Lukashev
- Sergey Sergeyevich Vasyuk
- Andrey Eduardovich Baranov
- Aleksey Sergeyevich Morenets
- Sergey Aleksandrovich Morgachev
- Artem Adreyevich Malyshev
- Yuriy Leonidovich Shikolenko
- Victor Borisovich Netyksho
- Dmitriy Aleksandrovich Mikhaylov
- African Initiative
- Artyom Sergeevich Kureyev
- Anna Sergeevna Zamaraeva
- Victor Aleksandrovich Lukovenko