The European Union has expanded its sanctions against Russia by targeting individuals and organisations accused of involvement in cybercrime and human rights violations. The latest measures also include the Russian social media platform VKontakte and several technology companies.
According to the EU, VKontakte and its subsidiary, Communication Platform LLC, were added to the sanctions list for their role in developing and managing the MaxApp application for Russian smartphones under the supervision of the FSB security agency. The app is pre-installed on all mobile devices sold in Russia.
EU member states said MaxApp has been used to suppress critics of Russia’s war against Ukraine and people who shared content prohibited by Russian authorities.
The sanctions also target Citadel, VAS Experts, and Norsi-Trans. The EU said these companies manufacture, develop, and sell hardware and software used in a surveillance system that monitors phone calls, emails, text messages, and social media activity. According to the EU, the surveillance network has been used to monitor journalists, opposition leaders, minority groups, and ordinary citizens.
In addition, the European Union imposed sanctions on officers from Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, as well as cybercriminals and companies that it said were involved in efforts to destabilise Europe through cyber activities.
The EU also accused the FSB of controlling “a variety of cyber threat groups”, linking the agency to multiple cyber operations.
The expanded sanctions reflect the European Union’s continued efforts to address cyber threats, surveillance activities, and human rights concerns linked to Russia.
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