The 18 Russian spies who mounted series of attacks on UK unmasked

4 weeks ago 16

Dozens of Russian spies person been sanctioned by the authorities - including those liable for targeting Yulia Skripal 5 years earlier her attempted execution successful Salisbury.

The Foreign Office has announced that 3 units of the Russian subject quality bureau (GRU) person been deed with sanctions, alongside 18 subject quality officers.

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GRU officers attempted to execution Yulia Skipal and her begetter Sergei utilizing the deadly Novichok nervus cause successful Salisbury.

The 18 subject quality officers person been targeted due to the fact that of a sustained run of malicious cyber enactment implicit galore years, including successful the UK, the Foreign Office said.

The authorities besides accused the GRU of utilizing cyber and accusation operations to "sow chaos, part and upset successful Ukraine and crossed the world".

One of the groups sanctioned, Unit 26165, conducted online reconnaissance to assistance people rocket strikes against Mariupol, including the bombing of Mariupol Theatre wherever hundreds of civilians, including children, were murdered.

Other subject officers who person been sanctioned antecedently targeted Yulia Skripal's mobile telephone with malicious malware known arsenic X-Agent.

The Skripals had moved to the UK aft Sergei Skripal became a treble agent, secretly moving for the UK. He was tried for precocious treason and imprisoned successful Russia - and aboriginal exchanged successful a spy swap.

But 5 years aft Yulia's telephone was targeted, the brace were poisoned with the nervus agent, Novichok, successful Salisbury. Russia has ever denied being progressive successful the chemic attack.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: "GRU spies are moving a run to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and endanger the information of British citizens," Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

"The Kremlin should beryllium successful nary doubt: we spot what they are trying to bash successful the shadows and we won't tolerate it."

He said the UK was taking "decisive action" with the sanctions against Russian spies.

"Putin's hybrid threats and aggression volition ne'er interruption our resolve. The UK and our allies' enactment for Ukraine and Europe's information is ironclad."

Those sanctioned contiguous include:

• Aleksandr Vladimirovich Osadchuk