UK sanctions Russian agencies accused of spreading Ukraine disinformation

Britain on Monday imposed sanctions on three Russian agencies and three senior figures at the agencies who it said were trying to use disinformation to “undermine and destabilize Ukraine and its democracy.”

Britain’s foreign ministry said the Social Design Agency (SDA) and its partner company Structura had attempted to deliver a series of “interference operations” designed to weaken international support for Ukraine. The third company named was public relations firm ANO DIALOG.

“Today’s sanctions send a clear message; we will not tolerate your lies and interference, and we are coming after you,” British foreign minister David Lammy said in a statement.

The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

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Britain also said the SDA had tried to incite protests in half a dozen European countries this year and considered buying social media views. The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans.

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The U.S., which has warned of Moscow’s efforts to sow disinformation and instability in democratic countries, also imposed sanctions on the two companies in March.

Canada condemned the actions of SDA and Structura, which the federal government said run a disinformation network dubbed Doppelganger that spreads inauthentic posts, falsified documents and deepfakes.

“These deceitful tactics are designed to undermine democracy and distract from the war crimes and humanitarian disaster Russia has created with its illegal invasion of Ukraine,” a statement attributed to Global Affairs Canada said.

“Although Europe and the war in Ukraine appear to have been the primary focus, Canada and Canadian social and political issues have also featured in the content of these clandestine outlets. Moreover, Canadians are impacted by Russian disinformation when Kremlin-backed operations exploit contentious topics such as race and migration.”

—With files from Global News