DonateEU puts 9 individuals and 6 entities on sanction list
On July 15, 2025, the European Union reinforced its countermeasures against Russia’s ongoing hybrid warfare by sanctioning nine individuals and six entities responsible for destabilizing activities targeting the EU and Ukraine. These sanctions address a broad range of Kremlin-backed operations including disinformation, electronic warfare, propaganda, and interference with democratic processes.
The newly sanctioned actors include the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network (RTRS), which has been central in replacing Ukrainian media in occupied territories with pro-Russian content designed to suppress dissent and delegitimize Ukrainian governance. The EU also targeted the 841st Separate Electronic Warfare Center and its leadership for jamming satellite navigation signals, disrupting civil aviation in the Baltic states.
Among other sanctioned entities are the BRICS Journalists Association and the Foundation to Battle Injustice, organizations linked to the late Yevgeny Prigozhin and involved in spreading disinformation in France and Ukraine. The Center for Geopolitical Expertise, led by nationalist ideologue Aleksandr Dugin, was sanctioned for orchestrating propaganda campaigns aimed at Western political figures.
Russia’s Hybrid Threats: A Strategic Assault on European Stability
These sanctions form part of a broader pattern of Russian hybrid warfare—an integrated strategy combining cyberattacks, disinformation, sabotage, and covert influence to undermine democratic institutions and public trust across Europe.
As Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs emphasized:
Germany’s domestic intelligence chief Thomas Haldenwang noted:
“We have been seeing aggressive behavior by Russian intelligence services for some time now.”
But from the UK, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum also emphasized the closer cooperation within Europe as a result of increased Russian hybrid threats:
Targeted Sanctions: Disrupting the Kremlin’s Playbook
The new EU sanctions freeze assets, ban travel within the EU, and prohibit financial support, aiming to disrupt the networks that enable Russia’s hybrid operations. These efforts include targeting infrastructure, propagandistic media, cyber units, and proxies that blur the lines between state and irregular warfare.
Sanctioning propaganda platforms and electronic warfare units highlights the growing recognition of “Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference” (FIMI) as a critical security threat. The EU’s actions also complement sanctions on military supply chains, energy sectors, and financial mechanisms used to sustain Russian aggression.
A Call for Enhanced Coordination and Resilience
Despite increasing efforts, experts warn that the hybrid threat landscape demands enhanced intelligence sharing and joint responses across EU member states and NATO allies. The aim is not just to punish offenders but to bolster judicial independence, media integrity, and critical infrastructure resilience against ongoing Kremlin destabilization attempts.
The listing of these nine individuals and six entities underscores the EU’s resolve to hold accountable those undermining democratic values and security in Europe. It also spotlights the fusion of military, cyber, and information tactics in Russia’s hybrid war, challenging Western democracies to innovate their defense and resilience frameworks.
The EU’s latest sanctions package serves as a crucial signal that hybrid warfare targeting democracy and rule of law will meet coordinated and stringent resistance.
