Britain on Monday imposed sanctions on three Russian agencies and three senior figures in the agencies that it said were trying to use disinformation to “undermine and destabilize Ukraine and its democracy.”
The British Foreign Office said the Social Design Agency (SDA) and its partner Structura had attempted to carry out a series of “interference operations” designed to weaken international support for Ukraine. The third company named is public relations firm ANO DIALOG.
“Today’s sanctions send a clear message; we will not tolerate your lies and interference and we will pursue you,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement.
The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
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Britain also said the DAP had tried to incite protests in six European countries this year and considered buying views on social media. Sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans.
The United States, warning of Moscow’s efforts to sow disinformation and instability in democratic countries, imposed sanctions on the two companies in March.
Canada condemned the actions of the SDA and Structura, which the federal government said operated a disinformation network dubbed Doppelganger that spread inauthentic posts and forged and fake documents.
“These deceptive tactics are intended to undermine democracy and distract from the war crimes and humanitarian catastrophe Russia has created with its illegal invasion of Ukraine,” a statement attributed to Global Affairs Canada said.
“Although Europe and the war in Ukraine appear to have been the primary focus, social and political issues in Canada and Canada have also featured in the content of these underground outlets. Furthermore, Canadians are influenced by Russian disinformation when Kremlin-backed operations exploit controversial topics such as Race and immigration.
—With files from Global News
