On Monday, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on three Russian companies and their executives accused of a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining Ukraine’s stability and democratic processes. In particular, the sanctions were imposed on the Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura, and the PR firm ANO Dialog, Reuters reports.
The British Foreign Office indicates that SDA and Structura conducted information operations aimed at reducing international support for Ukraine. These campaigns included attempts to manipulate public opinion in European countries by organising protests. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that “Putin’s desperate attempts to divide us will fail”, stressing that the UK would support Ukraine “for as long as it takes”.
The sanctions imposed include freezing the assets of the sanctioned entities and banning their leaders from entering the UK. British diplomats also noted that the SDA’s actions have raised concerns among allies, including Canada, France, Germany and Australia, which have expressed support for the sanctions.
Earlier this year, the United States also imposed sanctions on several companies accused of supporting Russia’s disinformation campaigns aimed at creating instability in democratic countries.
