On July 13, the United Kingdom updated its sanctions lists, adding new Russian citizens. The main target of the sanctions was the network of internet resources known as 'Rybar', as well as a number of individuals suspected of organizing cyberattacks on British institutions. London states that these measures are aimed at countering political interference and hybrid threats.

Sanctions Against the 'Rybar' Media Project

The updated list includes 10 individuals associated with the 'Rybar' project. This is a network of Telegram channels and other resources that position themselves as an analytical project. According to British authorities, the resource covers conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the internal politics of Western countries, from a pro-Russian perspective.

Previous investigations indicated that the project was funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner PMC. Later, as the US State Department stated, the funding sources changed, and the project began receiving funds from the state corporation 'Rostec'.

The following individuals were added to the sanctions list, who, according to London, hold leading positions in 'Rybar':

  • Tatyana Kostereva
  • Olga Kuznetsova
  • Natalya Chebotaeva
  • Maksim Matveev
  • Yevgeniya Grebneva
  • Dalya Roslyakova
  • Alexander Kan
  • Valeriya Zvinchuk
  • Denis Wolf

Separately, the head of the TEXASvsUSA project, linked to 'Rybar' — Alexander Minin — was included in the list.

The founder of 'Rybar', Mikhail Zvinchuk, stated in a comment to RTVI that three of the people included in the lists no longer have any connection to the project, and another, according to him, has never collaborated with it. He did not name the specific employees. It is worth noting that Mikhail Zvinchuk himself was previously included in the sanctions lists of the UK and the EU.

Millions of Dollars for Information

Pressure on the project participants from Western countries had intensified previously as well. In 2024, the US State Department's 'Rewards for Justice' program website published an announcement offering a reward of up to $10 million for information allowing the identification or location of individuals involved with 'Rybar'. The list of suspects featured in the American announcement included Alexander Kan, Tatyana Kostereva, Olga Kuznetsova, Maksim Matveev, Alexander Minin, and Valeriya Zvinchuk.

New Sanctions Against GRU and Cybercriminals

In addition to media activists, on July 13, the UK added 14 individuals to the sanctions list suspected of involvement in cyberattacks. Among them, it is claimed, are high-ranking officers of the Russian military intelligence (GRU): Vyacheslav Stafeev, Ivan Senin, and Ivan Kasyanenko.

All of them are accused of organizing so-called hybrid attacks against Britain. In particular, the list includes individuals allegedly involved in the use of the Lumma Stealer malware, which is used to steal confidential data.