UK sanctions Russian spies behind sustained campaign

Officers blamed for cyberattacks across Britain and Europe

- By ARCHIE MITCHELL, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Britain has hit more than a dozen Russian spies with a wave of sanctions, targeting those it accused of running a “sustained campaign” of malicious activity against the UK.

The Foreign Office named 18 officers from Russian spy agency the GRU, as well as hitting three of its units with measures aimed at cracking down on Vladimir Putin’s increasing aggression abroad.

It said the military intelligence officers targeted were “responsible for spreading chaos and disorder on Putin’s orders”, and included those who had targeted the family of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

The officers sanctioned had targeted a device belonging to Mr Skripal’s daughter Yulia with malicious malware known as X-Agent five years before GRU attempted to murder them in Salisbury with the deadly Novichok nerve agent.

The units are also accused of conducting a prolonged campaign of cyberattacks across Europe, including in Britain, aimed at destabilising the continent and undermining democratic institutions.