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EU Targets Cyberspying Russians        07/13 06:13

   The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on Russian military 
intelligence officers, hackers and private companies, denouncing what it called 
a yearslong cyberespionage campaign to undermine the bloc.

   BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on Russian 
military intelligence officers, hackers and private companies, denouncing what 
it called a yearslong cyberespionage campaign to undermine the bloc.

   The move targeted nine people and four entities accused of links to an 
online spying network that the EU said has targeted governments and carried out 
sabotage operations against critical infrastructure like heating and power 
plants since 2010.

   The European Council said in a statement that those targeted "contribute to 
Russia's efforts to destabilize the EU, its member states and international 
partners." The espionage and attacks have taken place in at least nine 
countries.

   The names of the individuals and entities -- which usually companies, 
government agencies, banks or other organizations -- were not listed on the 
statement.

   It said France, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, 
Romania and Finland, "among others" have been targeted.

   French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot said that France intends to summon 
the Russian ambassador in the coming days. He told French BFM television that 
the aim of the cyberactivities is "either to capture information, or sabotage 
the operation, for example, of railway infrastructures as it was the case in 
Poland."

   The EU focused its measures on the 16th Center of Russia's Federal Security 
Service, or FSB. It said the FSB has been "controlling a variety of cyberthreat 
groups," and said it "has conducted a wide range of malicious cyberactivities 
with growing severity."

   Some countries have accused Russia of using cyberattacks and propaganda to 
interfere with elections.

   In April, Sweden said Wednesday that a pro-Russian group with links to 
Russia's security and intelligence services was behind a cyberattack on a 
heating plant last year. The announcement followed warnings from officials in 
Poland, Norway, Denmark and Latvia that Russia is attacking critical 
infrastructure across Europe.