The EU has taken strong action against Russian individuals and entities suspected of being involved in a massive disinformation campaign. The European Council announced sanctions to respond to hybrid attacks coming from Russia, highlighting attempts to manipulate the media in the service of the Kremlin.
Twelve Russian individuals and entities involved
On Friday, July 28, the European Union imposed sanctions on 12 Russian individuals and entities accused of being linked to a vast disinformation campaign serving the interests of the Kremlin. Among these entities is Inforos, considered to be linked to Russian military intelligence. This site is said to have created more than 270 online media outlets to spread propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine.
A response signal to hybrid attacks from Russia
The ANO Dialog association, affiliated with the Russian administration, as well as two IT companies are also affected by these sanctions. They would be involved in the misinformation campaign called Recent Reliable News. The European Council thus wants to send a response signal to Russia’s hybrid attacks.
Objective: preserve the integrity of the media landscape
The sanctions imposed include the freezing of assets and the prohibition of entry of the persons and entities concerned into European territory. The head of diplomacy of the 27, Josep Borell, explained that the European Union wants to show that it is aware of the disinformation practices orchestrated by Russia. Its objective is to protect the integrity of the media landscape.
This article is originally published on linfo.re
