Russian hybrid threats: EU prolongs restrictive measures by another year
On 4 October, the Council of the European Union prolonged individual restrictive measures against those responsible for Russia’s destabilising actions abroad by a year, until 9 October 2026, in light of Russia’s continued hybrid activities, including Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) against the EU and its member states and partners.
In total, restrictive measures in view of Russia’s destabilising activities currently apply to 47 individuals and 15 entities. Those listed are subject to an asset freeze, and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to them. Persons also face a travel ban that prohibits them from entering or transiting through EU territories.
On 8 October 2024, the Council of the EU adopted a framework of restrictive measures in response to Russia’s destabilising actions. The sanctions regime targets those engaged in Russian Federation government actions and policies, which undermine the fundamental values of the EU and its member states, their security, stability, independence and integrity. The sanctions regime also targets those responsible for hybrid activities against third-world countries and international organisations.
In May 2025, the EU broadened the scope of the restrictive measures framework to allow the targeting of tangible assets linked to Russia’s destabilising activities as well as financial backers of destabilising activities, and to allow for the suspension of the broadcasting licences of Russian media outlets involved in disinformation.
In addition, on 18 July 2025, a statement of the High Representative on behalf of the EU condemned Russia’s persistent hybrid campaigns against the EU, its member states and partners. The statement underlined that, over the past years, the EU has observed a deliberate and systematic pattern of malicious behaviour attributed to Russia, such as cyber-attacks, acts of sabotage, disruption of critical infrastructure, physical attacks, information manipulation and interference, and other covert or coercive actions. Those activities have further escalated since the beginning of the war of aggression against Ukraine and are highly likely to persist in the foreseeable future.
“The EU and its member states will continue to draw on the full range of tools available to protect, prevent, deter from and respond to such malicious behaviour,” concludes a press release by the European External Action Service (EEAS).
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