Britain imposes new sanctions. “This is Russian information war. We are defending ourselves.”
The list of entities subject to sanctions includes, among others: Telegram channel dedicated to international affairs called Rybarwhich has nearly 1.5 million followers, and its co-owner Mikhail Zvinchuk. The sanctions also covered the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad, also known as Pravfondwhich, according to Estonian intelligence, is a “front” for the Russian intelligence service GRU.
The head of the British Foreign Office also mentioned: Center of Geopolitical Expertise, that is, a think tank headed by the Russian ultranationalist ideologist Alexander Dugin, a strong supporter of Vladimir Putin's policies. She also warned that Western countries must raise the bar in the fight against information warfare waged by “malicious foreign states.”
The British foreign secretary said that London and its allies face growing “hybrid threats … aimed at weakening critical national infrastructure, undermining our interests and interfering with our democracies.”
The article continues below the video
Which Russian media have been sanctioned?
Who is the co-owner of the Rybar channel?
What is the UK doing in response to information wars?
What did the British Foreign Minister warn about the threats?
British Foreign Minister: It's Russian Information War
— We should call it what it is: Russian information warfare. And we defend ourselves, Cooper emphasized. She said the threats include physical attacks such as sabotage, as well as disinformation campaigns “flooding social media with artificial intelligence and manipulated videos” aimed at “undermining Western support for Ukraine's resistance to the Russian invasion.”
As an example of such activities, she cited fake websites and political advertisements that appeared in connection with the September parliamentary elections in Moldova. She also cited fake news websites containing false content about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, which are intended to “undermine the support shown by allies to Ukraine.”
Cooper announced the imposition of sanctions during a conference marking the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Locarno Treaties, which were intended to regulate the political situation in Europe after World War I. In her speech, the head of British diplomacy said, among other things: on the importance of international cooperation at a time when US President Donald Trump is “disrupting long-standing alliances and undermining the United States' commitment to NATO.”
