The UK has exposed a Russian spy network of 18 operatives responsible for cyber-attacks on British targets, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced. The sanctioned agents allegedly hacked political institutions, energy infrastructure, and even targeted Yulia Skripal—daughter of poisoned ex-spy Sergei Skripal—years before the 2018 Salisbury novichok attack.
Among the revelations, a network of Russian spies was exposed when two agents allegedly planted X-Agent spyware on Yulia Skripal’s device in 2013, long before the attempted assassination. The malware has ties to Fancy Bear, a hacking group connected to Russia’s GRU military intelligence.
The same unit also targeted Ukraine, including the 2022 Mariupol theatre bombing that killed hundreds. Lammy accused the Kremlin of waging a shadow war, stating: “GRU spies are destabilizing Europe, attacking Ukraine, and threatening British citizens.”
The sanctions freeze assets and impose travel bans on the spies. The UK also targeted African Initiative, a disinformation group spreading fake health reports in West Africa.
This marks a shift in strategy previously, sanctions focused on oligarchs and banks. Now, Lammy is directly naming operatives to disrupt espionage. “Putin’s hybrid threats won’t break our resolve,” he declared, as the Russian spy network becomes more exposed.
Since 2022, UK sanctions have cost Russia $450 billion in lost war funds. Lammy has taken a hard line, calling Putin’s regime a “mafia state” and vowing to counter cyber warfare.
With tensions high, the network of spies exposed from Russia reveals the scale of Kremlin operations. As Lammy warned: “We see what they’re doing in the shadows—and we won’t tolerate it.”
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