Europeans sanction Russia over alleged "sabotage and espionage" attacks

The European Union and the United Kingdom have jointly imposed sanctions on individuals and entities accused of orchestrating a widespread cyber campaign across Europe, which France's foreign minister described as "sabotage and espionage."

Jean-Noel Barrot announced that France would summon Russia's ambassador to Paris over the "vast cyber campaign" orchestrated by the FSB, Russia's primary intelligence service. The sanctions target nine individuals and four entities deemed responsible for these actions. Barrot stated that the attacks, which affected a dozen European countries, aimed to either gather information or sabotage operations, citing an incident in Poland where a railway line was targeted.

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We will also impose sanctions on nine individuals and four entities responsible for this cyber campaign, which was orchestrated by the FSB.

Poland's top diplomat had previously accused Russia of "state terror" in November 2025 after two Ukrainian nationals allegedly working with Russian secret services were implicated in blowing up a railway line. France reported that it was able to detect and counter these attacks due to strengthened defenses.

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Russia's malicious cyber ecosystem

The EU condemned Russia's "malicious cyber ecosystem," which it said encompasses state and non-state actors, including intelligence services, cybercriminals, hacktivists, and private companies. The bloc accused the FSB of controlling various cyber threat groups involved in infiltrating governmental networks and sabotaging critical infrastructure. France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, and Finland were among the nations targeted, experiencing disruptions and financial losses.

These accusations come as France prepares to host a summit of Ukraine's allies. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the group as a "coalition of warmongers" and stated Russia would closely monitor the hostile actions taken against it. Sweden also reported foiling a Russian cyberattack on a thermal power plant in April.

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a coalition of warmongers