Russian hybrid threats: EU renews sanctions

European Union ministers decided on October 3 to prolong individual restrictive measures against those responsible for Russia’s destabilising actions abroad by one year, until October 9 2026, in light of Russia’s continued hybrid activities, including Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) against the EU and its member states and partners, a statement by the Council of the EU said.

In total, restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities currently apply to 47 individuals and 15 entities.

Those listed are subject to an asset freeze, and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to them. Natural persons also face a travel ban that prohibits them from entering or transiting through EU territories.

On October 8 2024, the Council adopted a framework of restrictive measures in response to Russia’s destabilising actions. The sanctions regime targets those engaged in actions and policies by the government of the Russian Federation, which undermine the fundamental values of the EU and its member states, their security, stability, independence and integrity. The sanctions regime targets also those responsible for hybrid activities against third countries and international organisations.

In May 2025, the EU broadened the scope of the restrictive measures framework to allow the targeting of tangible assets linked to Russia’s destabilising activities, financial backers of destabilising activities, and to allow for the suspension of the broadcasting licences of Russian media outlets involved in disinformation.

In addition, on July 18 2025, a statement of the High Representative on behalf of the EU condemned Russia’s persistent hybrid campaigns against the EU, its member states and partners. The statement underlined that, over the past years, the EU has observed a deliberate and systematic pattern of malicious behaviour attributed to Russia, such as cyber-attacks, acts of sabotage, disruption of critical infrastructure, physical attacks, information manipulation and interference, and other covert or coercive actions. Those activities have further escalated since the beginning of the war of aggression against Ukraine and are highly likely to persist in the foreseeable future.

The EU and its member states will continue to draw on the full range of tools available to protect, prevent, deter from and respond to such malicious behaviour, the statement said.