By Emeka Blast 
18 Russian Intelligence Agents Sanctioned by UK for Undermining European Stability
The sanctioned GRU units—26165, 74455, and an unnamed third unit—along with officers including Lieutenant-Colonel Sergey Morgachev, Aleksey Lukashev, and Ivan Yermakov, are linked to high-profile incidents. Unit 26165 conducted online reconnaissance for Russian missile strikes on Mariupol’s theatre in March 2022, killing approximately 600 civilians, including children, sheltering inside. The same unit targeted Yulia Skripal’s emails with X-Agent malware in 2013, five years before GRU agents attempted to assassinate her and her father, Sergei Skripal, with Novichok in Salisbury. Other officers, including Colonel Aleksandr Osadchuk, are accused of interfering in the 2016 US election, while some targeted anti-doping agencies during the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The UK also sanctioned three leaders of the Russian-funded “African Initiative,” a social media operation spreading disinformation in West Africa, including baseless conspiracy theories undermining global health programs. Lammy stated, “The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows, and we won’t tolerate it.” The measures, which include asset freezes, coincide with the EU’s 18th sanctions round, lowering the Russian oil price cap from $60 to $47.60 per barrel starting September 2 to choke funding for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, speaking at a G20 meeting in South Africa, emphasized that energy revenues, accounting for 30% of Russia’s state income, are a key vulnerability. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the EU and UK actions as “timely and necessary.” However, Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the sanctions, claiming Moscow’s economy would endure. Posts on X reflected strong sentiment, with users like @InsiderGeo praising the UK’s resolve, though some questioned the effectiveness of sanctions given Russia’s oil exports to China and India.
