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EU Targets Cyberspying Russians 07/13 06:13
The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on Russian military
intelligence officers, hackers and private companies, denouncing what it called
a yearslong cyberespionage campaign to undermine the bloc.
BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on Russian
military intelligence officers, hackers and private companies, denouncing what
it called a yearslong cyberespionage campaign to undermine the bloc.
The move targeted nine people and four entities accused of links to an
online spying network that the EU said has targeted governments and carried out
sabotage operations against critical infrastructure like heating and power
plants since 2010.
The European Council said in a statement that those targeted "contribute to
Russia's efforts to destabilize the EU, its member states and international
partners." The espionage and attacks have taken place in at least nine
countries.
The names of the individuals and entities -- which usually companies,
government agencies, banks or other organizations -- were not listed on the
statement.
It said France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia,
Romania and Finland, "among others" have been targeted.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot said that France intends to summon
the Russian ambassador in the coming days. He told French BFM television that
the aim of the cyberactivities is "either to capture information, or sabotage
the operation, for example, of railway infrastructures as it was the case in
Poland."
The EU focused its measures on the 16th Center of Russia's Federal Security
Service, or FSB. It said the FSB has been "controlling a variety of cyberthreat
groups," and said it "has conducted a wide range of malicious cyberactivities
with growing severity."
Some countries have accused Russia of using cyberattacks and propaganda to
interfere with elections.
In April, Sweden said Wednesday that a pro-Russian group with links to
Russia's security and intelligence services was behind a cyberattack on a
heating plant last year. The announcement followed warnings from officials in
Poland, Norway, Denmark and Latvia that Russia is attacking critical
infrastructure across Europe.
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