Space Travel News
CYBER WARS
Britain sanctions Russian, Chinese entities over disinfo, cyber threats

Britain sanctions Russian, Chinese entities over disinfo, cyber threats

by AFP Staff Writers
London (AFP) Dec 9, 2025

Britain on Tuesday sanctioned entities it accused of distorting information in favour of Russia as well as two Chinese companies for alleged cyber activities against the United Kingdom and its allies.

"Across Europe, we are witnessing an escalation in hybrid threats -- from physical through to cyber and information warfare -- designed to destabilise our democracies, weaken our critical national infrastructure, and undermine our interests, all for the advantage of malign foreign states," said a Foreign Office policy paper released along with the list of new sanctions.

Among those sanctioned is Russian media outlet Rybar, "whose Telegram channel and network of affiliates in 28 languages reaches millions worldwide," said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

It used "classic Kremlin manipulation tactics, including fake 'investigations' and AI driven content to shape narratives about global events in the Kremlin's favour," she said.

"Masquerading as an independent body", Rybar is partially funded by Russia's presidential administration, receives funding from state corporations and has worked with Russian intelligence, she said.

Also sanctioned is the Pravfond Foundation, which has been accused of being a front for Russian GRU foreign intelligence agency.

"Leaked reports suggest that Pravfond finances the promotion of Kremlin narratives to Western audiences as well as bankrolling legal defences for convicted Russian assassins and arms traffickers," Cooper said.

Also hit was Alexander Dugin, a nationalist Russian philosopher widely thought to have influenced much of President Vladimir Putin's thinking, and his think tank, the Centre for Geopolitical Expertise.

Dugin has most notably championed "neo-Eurasianism," a doctrine that says Russia must liberate the world from Western excesses by building an empire stretching from Europe to Asia.

London also targeted Chinese-based "i-Soon and Integrity Technology Group, for their vast and indiscriminate cyberactivities against the UK and its allies," Cooper said.

"Attacks like this impact our collective security and our public services, yet those responsible operate with little regard for who or what they target," she said. "And so we are ensuring that such reckless activity does not go unchecked."

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
CYBER WARS
No conspiracy in collapse of China spy case: UK inquiry; UK govt again delays China embassy decision
London (AFP) Dec 3, 2025
A high-profile case against two British men accused of spying for China collapsed because of "systemic failures" and not a government conspiracy, a UK parliamentary inquiry concluded Wednesday. The handling of the case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry was at times "shambolic" and reforms are needed to prevent "similar issues" happening again, the cross-party committee of MPs and members of the House of Lords said in its report. Ex-parliamentary researcher Cash and China-based Berry ... read more

CYBER WARS
CYBER WARS
Bacterial partnership offers pathway to produce Mars regolith bricks for future habitats

Chinese team runs long term Martian dust cycle simulation with GoMars model

NASA rover hears electric crackles inside Mars dust devils

Second CHAPEA Crew Begins Extended Mars Habitat Mission at NASA Johnson

CYBER WARS
Congress warned that the U.S. faces a new space race with China

NASA backs dust tolerant wireless power links for Moon and Mars vehicles

Lunar dust model highlights risks for spacecraft and future moon base projects

Chinese experiment tests lunar construction bricks after space exposure

CYBER WARS
Looking inside icy moons

Saturn moon mission planning shifts to flower constellation theory

Could these wacky warm Jupiters help astronomers solve the planet formation puzzle?

Out-of-this-world ice geysers on Saturn's Enceladus

CYBER WARS
NASA backs WHOI effort to read organic signals from ocean worlds

SPHERE debris disk survey maps hidden asteroid and comet belts in young planetary systems

SwRI opens NOUR lab to track chemical pathways from nebulae to planetary systems

Gels may have given early Earth chemistry a place to organize into life

CYBER WARS
LandSpace reviews booster loss after Zhuque-3 reusable rocket test

UK plasma thruster test positions Pulsar Fusion for larger satellite propulsion

EU dismisses 'completely crazy statements' after Musk attack

EU hits Musk's X with 120-mn-euro fine, sparking US ire

CYBER WARS
China consolidates new commercial space regulator and industry roadmap

Beijing space lab targets orbital data centers for AI era

China supports private space firms to expand global reach

Successful launch preparations underway for Shenzhou XXII resupply mission

CYBER WARS
OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft completes Earth flyby on its journey to explore Apophis

40 000 near-Earth asteroids discovered!

Lunar impactor Theia originated near Earth and Sun analysis reveals

ESA pinpoints 3I/ATLAS's path with data from Mars

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.