Today, FCDO issued the following notice:

Across Europe, we are witnessing an escalation in hybrid threats – from physical through to cyber and information warfare – designed to destabilise our democracies, weaken our critical national infrastructure, and undermine our interests, all for the advantage of malign foreign states.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) operations are creating fake websites and using social media and bot accounts to undermine democratic elections and spread narratives in support of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. Russian organisations responsible for vast malign online networks like Doppelgänger specialise in flooding social media with counterfeit documents and deepfake material in English, German, and French, which advances Russia’s strategic aims.

We are stepping up cooperation with European partners on hybrid and information threats, including through the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership, and through deep cooperation between teams in the UK, in France, Germany, Poland and Brussels, to deliver a pan-European response to a pan-European threat.

Since October 2024, this government has sanctioned 31 organisations and individuals responsible for delivering Russia’s information warfare. Today, the UK has gone further and sanctioned the following entities and individuals for their role in destabilising Ukraine:

1. RYBAR LLC
2. Mikhail Sergeevich ZVINCHUK
3. FOUNDATION FOR THE SUPPORT AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF COMPATRIOTS LIVING ABROAD (AKA PRAVFOND)
4. EUROMORE
5. GOLOS
6. THE CENTRE FOR GEOPOLITICAL EXPERTISE
7. Aleksandr Geljevitj DUGIN

Rybar LLC & Mikhail Sergeevich Zvinchuk

The UK has designated RYBAR LLC, a media company partially resourced by the Government of Russia, that hides its connections to the Russian state whilst running a covert FIMI network that promotes international support for the illegal invasion of Ukraine and interferes in global democratic processes, including elections in the EU and Moldova.

Rybar uses classic Kremlin manipulation tactics, including fake “investigations” and AI driven content to respond rapidly to global events and shape narratives in the Kremlin’s favour.  Rybar is partially coordinated by the Presidential Administration, receives funding from Russian State corporation Rostec and works with members of the Russian Intelligence Services. The UK has also designated Mikhail Sergeevich ZVINCHUK, RYBAR LLC’s co-owner and General Director.

Foundation for the Support and Protections of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad  (AKA PRAVFOND), Euromore and Golos

The UK has designated Government of Russia-affiliated entities facilitating and delivering Russian propaganda which undermines international support for Ukraine. Leaked reports suggest PRAVFOND, attributed as a front for the GRU by Estonia, has funnelled money into EUROMORE and GOLOS, nominally independent news outlets which hide their connection to the Russian state, to spread Kremlin propaganda targeting Ukraine to European audiences.

The Centre for Geopolitical Expertise and Aleksandr DUGIN

The UK has designated the Moscow-based “think tank” Centre for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) for funding and directing Russian FIMI networks that undermine international support for Ukraine, and its founder Aleksandr Dugin, a prominent supporter of the invasion of Ukraine whose work closely informs Putin’s calculations. The CGE is linked to the Russian Intelligence Services and has coordinated support for the Russian FIMI network known as Storm-1516 to further its aims of undermining Ukraine.

Storm-1516 is a malign influence network which produces content that seeks to undermine European unity and create support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. It repeatedly targets European political figures and domestic political parties with false and divisive claims, such as allegations of corruption or impropriety. These videos are then spread through social media accounts, news portals and inauthentic websites. Some of these inauthentic sites impersonate legitimate organisations or media outlets.

Note

Some of this analysis is drawn from Open Source material. As such, there is a risk that information may exist that contradicts, alters or strengthens the conclusions contained within this document.