EU sanctions nine Russians, four entities over cyber-attacks and destabilising activities

Europe-Asia, International

BRUSSELS, Belgium (NPA) — The Council of the European Union has imposed sanctions on nine Russian individuals and four entities over their alleged involvement in cyber-attacks and destabilising activities targeting the European Union, its member states and international partners.

The sanctions, announced on Monday, form part of the EU’s efforts to counter malicious cyber operations and activities linked to Russia’s military and intelligence networks.

According to the Council, those sanctioned are accused of carrying out, facilitating or enabling cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure, government institutions and essential services across Europe and beyond.

Among the entities sanctioned is Media Land LLC, a bulletproof hosting service provider accused of supporting a wide range of cybercriminal activities.

The company and its owner, Alexander Volosovik, were sanctioned for allegedly facilitating malware attacks, ransomware operations and phishing campaigns that targeted EU member states and other countries.

The Council also listed ML.Cloud, a sister company of Media Land LLC, for its alleged role in supporting the cyber operations.

The EU further imposed sanctions on Z-Pentest, described as a pro-Russian hacktivist group accused of targeting critical infrastructure, particularly in the energy and water sectors.

According to the Council, the group was responsible for a cyber-attack on a Danish water utility in December 2024.

Its alleged leader, Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova, and one of its principal hackers, Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko, were also included on the sanctions list.

Both individuals are reportedly linked to the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR), a group the EU says has carried out sustained distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks since 2022 against countries supporting Ukraine.

The Council alleged that CARR has targeted government agencies, financial institutions, media organisations and critical infrastructure across EU member states, Ukraine and other countries, and is linked to Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU.

Also sanctioned were LLC Impuls and its owner, Evgeniy Viktorovich Bashev, who the EU identified as a member of GRU Unit 29155.

According to the Council, the company provided technical and material support for cyber-attacks and attempted cyber-attacks carried out by the intelligence unit against the EU and its member states.

The sanctions also target Maksim Evgeniyevich Voronin, Maksim Alexandrovich Gordienko and Vitaly Nikolayevich Kovalev.

The Council accused Voronin and Gordienko of participating in the development, distribution and sale of the information-stealing malware LummaC2, while Kovalev was linked to the development of the Trickbot and Conti malware programmes.

The EU said the sanctions were adopted in close coordination with the United Kingdom, marking the first time both jurisdictions have simultaneously imposed cyber sanctions under their respective legal frameworks.

The Council said the coordinated action underscores the shared commitment of the EU and the UK to countering malicious Russian cyber activities.

In a separate measure, the EU also sanctioned Ivan Kasyanenko, Deputy Commander of the Special Operations Service of Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU).

According to the Council, Kasyanenko allegedly supervised operations linked to GRU Unit 29155, including activities in Afghanistan, the 2018 Novichok poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter, covert operations across Europe, and the management of Wagner Group networks in Africa.

The Council further alleged that he coordinated military-technical cooperation initiatives involving Iran.

Under the sanctions, all individuals and entities listed will be subject to an asset freeze, while EU citizens and companies are prohibited from making funds or economic resources available to them.

The individuals have also been placed under travel bans, preventing them from entering or transiting through the territory of European Union member states.