The European Union has expanded sanctions against Russia in response to escalating hybrid operations and cyber threats targeting the EU, its member states, and international partners. The new restrictive measures highlight growing concern over coordinated disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, and information manipulation attributed to Kremlin-linked actors.
Adopted by the Council of the European Union, the sanctions add new individuals and organizations involved in propaganda, cyber warfare, and destabilization efforts. The decision reinforces the EU’s position that hybrid threats represent a direct challenge to democracy, sovereignty, and regional security.
EU Sanctions and the Fight Against Hybrid Threats
The latest sanctions package focuses on non-military instruments of influence, including cyber operations, digital disinformation, and foreign information manipulation. These tools have increasingly been used to undermine elections, polarize societies, and weaken trust in democratic institutions across Europe.
By expanding the sanctions regime, the EU is formally recognizing hybrid warfare as a strategic security threat and signaling that individuals involved in these activities will face coordinated international consequences.
Sanctioned Individuals Involved in Information Manipulation
John Mark Dougan
John Mark Dougan is a former deputy sheriff from Florida who fled to Russia in 2016 and later acquired Russian nationality. According to EU findings, he has been involved in pro-Kremlin digital information operations from Moscow.
Dougan is accused of operating the “CopyCop” network, a system of fake news websites designed to mimic legitimate Western media outlets. These platforms reportedly disseminated fabricated stories and AI-generated deepfake content.
Western authorities and investigative journalists have linked his activities to Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU) and Kremlin-affiliated think tanks, concluding that his actions aimed to manipulate elections and public discourse in Western countries.
Andrey Andreievich Sushentsov
Andrey Sushentsov is a prominent Russian foreign policy ideologue embedded in the state-academic system. He serves as Director of the Institute for International Studies at MGIMO University, an institution subordinated to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as Program Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
The EU concluded that Sushentsov consistently promotes Kremlin-aligned narratives, including claims that NATO provoked the war in Ukraine and that Western sanctions are illegitimate. Through media appearances and international forums, he has helped disseminate Russia’s strategic messaging abroad, contributing to information manipulation and interference.
Dmitry Vyacheslavovich Suslov
Dmitry Suslov holds senior research roles at the Higher School of Economics and the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy and is a frequent speaker at the Valdai Discussion Club. He regularly appears in Russian and international media as a purported independent expert.
EU authorities cited Suslov’s repeated framing of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a defensive response to Western aggression. In 2024, he publicly suggested a “demonstrative nuclear explosion” as a means of intimidating the West, remarks that were widely reported and viewed as contributing to nuclear coercion narratives and strategic intimidation.
Fyodor Aleksandrovich Lukyanov
Fyodor Lukyanov is a well-known Russian journalist, political analyst, and editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs. He also serves as research director of the Valdai Discussion Club and frequently moderates sessions attended by President Vladimir Putin.
The EU assessed that Lukyanov plays a key ideological role in legitimizing Russia’s war against Ukraine. Through articles, interviews, and public commentary, he consistently shifts blame onto the EU, NATO, and the United States while portraying Ukraine as a Western proxy rather than a sovereign state.
Jacques Baud
Jacques Baud is a former colonel in the Swiss army and a former intelligence analyst. He has become a regular guest on pro-Russian television and radio programs and an author for pro-Kremlin French-language websites.
According to the EU, Baud has acted as a conduit for pro-Kremlin propaganda by promoting conspiracy theories, including claims that Ukraine orchestrated its invasion to accelerate NATO membership. His public commentary was deemed to undermine stability and security in Ukraine by amplifying misleading narratives.
Xavier Moreau
Xavier Moreau is a former French military officer and the founder of the Stratpol website. He is also described as a Moscow-based Franco-Russian businessman with close ties to pro-Kremlin media ecosystems. Hu regularly records videos and produces articles promoting Kremlin propaganda.
The EU found that Moreau has repeatedly spread conspiracy theories about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, echoing narratives that deny Russian responsibility and accuse Ukraine of provoking the conflict. His activities were classified as direct engagement in information manipulation and interference.
Diana Vitaliivna Panchenko
Diana Panchenko is a Ukrainian-born journalist who holds both Ukrainian and Russian nationality. She produces and disseminates anti-Ukrainian, pro-Russian, and anti-NATO content across multiple platforms.
EU authorities highlighted her use of news-style video formats to legitimize Kremlin narratives, including portraying Ukrainian authorities as “Nazis” and justifying Russian war crimes. Her content has been produced in occupied Ukrainian territories and amplified through large Telegram and X audiences, including during cyberattacks on Ukrainian media infrastructure.
Sanctioned Organizations and Cyber Units
In addition to individuals, the EU sanctioned the International Russophile Movement for promoting destabilizing narratives on behalf of the Russian government. The movement has documented ties to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and senior Kremlin figures.
The sanctions also target the 142nd Separate Electronic Warfare Battalion in Kaliningrad, members of Russian military intelligence unit 29155, and the Cadet Blizzard cyber threat group, all of which are involved in cyberattacks, GPS jamming, and spying against the EU, NATO allies, and Ukraine.
Broader Impact of the Sanctions Expansion
These additions subject 59 individuals and 17 entities to EU restrictive measures related to hybrid and cyber threats. On the same day, the EU expanded sanctions against Belarus to include hybrid hostile actions, reinforcing a regional approach to countering destabilization.
The addition of 40 vessels from Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which targets sanctions evasion and illicit maritime activity, complemented the measures.
The international approach to hybrid warfare has significantly evolved with the expansion of EU sanctions against Russia. By targeting ideologues, propagandists, cyber operators, and affiliated organizations, the EU is strengthening deterrence against non-military aggression.
These developments underline the importance of monitoring sanctions compliance and understanding the growing intersection between geopolitics, cyber risk, and information security.
