The European Union has imposed new sanctions on seven Russian individuals and five organizations involved in a disinformation campaign called RRN (Recent Reliable News) aimed at disseminating pro-Russian disinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The campaign involved spreading pro-Russian narratives through fake websites masquerading as famous European media and government portals, as well as social media accounts.
The sanction targeted, in particular, Inforos, a company linked to the Russian military intelligence (GRU) and three of its founders. Inforos is said to be responsible for setting up more than 270 media proxy online outlets that disseminate propaganda in support of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Other sanctioned entities include ANO Dialog, a Russian non-profit organization created by the Moscow Department of Information and Technology and closely linked to the presidential administration; the Institute of the Russian Diaspora; the Social Design Agency and Structura National Technologies; two Russian IT companies involved in the Russian-led digital disinformation campaign 'RRN' (Recent Reliable News), and their representatives.
A total of about 1,800 individuals and legal entities are currently subject to EU sanctions against actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.
