The UK is getting tough on the masterminds of Russian information warfare. The latest sanctions are aimed at Alexander Dugin, a blogger from the Rybar channel, but also at media projects operating in Belgium. Britain is coordinating this move with European partners in an effort to counter the rise of hybrid threats.
The UK has also included ultra-conservative philosopher Alexander Dugin and blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, who works on the pro-war Rybar channel on the Telegram platform, on its Russia-related sanctions lists. TASR informs about it with reference to the website of the British government.
- The United Kingdom added Alexander Dugin and Mikhail Zvinchuk to the sanctions list.
- The new sanctions include five legal entities involved in Russian propaganda.
- Dugin is considered the leading ideologue of the Russian war in Ukraine.
New people on the list
Five legal entities were also on the sanctions list. It is the Center for Geopolitical Expertise founded by Dugin; Rybar project; Fund for the support and protection of the rights of compatriots living abroad and the Russian-language media projects Golos and Euromore based in Belgium.
The British authorities emphasize that natural and legal persons included in the sanctions lists participate in the destabilization of Ukraine or benefit from cooperation with the Russian government.
Dugin is one of the main ideologues of the war in Ukraine
Alexander Dugin is considered one of the main ideologues of the Russian war against Ukraine and is a great critic of the West. Sanctions were imposed on him by the USA and the EU.
Russia calls sanctions by Western countries illegal and restrictions on Russian media in Europe a violation of freedom of speech. In response to the imposition of sanctions, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly stated that a mirror response will follow.
A press release from the British government states that since October 2024, it has imposed sanctions on 31 organizations and individuals responsible for the implementation of Russian information warfare.
British government: Increase in hybrid threats to be observed across Europe
The UK government has announced that it is stepping up cooperation with European partners on hybrid and information threats, including through the EU-UK Security and Defense Partnership, as well as close collaboration between teams in the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Brussels to ensure a pan-European response to a pan-European threat.
She added that the increase in hybrid threats – from physical attacks to cyber and information operations – can be observed across Europe. Their goal is to “destabilize our democracies, weaken critical national infrastructure, and undermine our interests for the benefit of hostile foreign states.”
