05 December 2025 , 21:17
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The United Kingdom announced on Thursday new sanctions targeting the Russian military intelligence agency, commonly known as GRU, "in its entirety."
The move comes after a public inquiry found that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized the assassination attempt on Sergey Skripal, who was a member of the GRU before coming to the UK in 2010 as part of a prisoner exchange after being convicted of spying for Britain. Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by Novichok, a nerve agent developed by Russian scientists, in Salisbury in 2018, but they survived the assassination attempt.
The UK government also said it summoned Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin over Moscow’s campaign of "hostile activity" against London. "The UK will always stand up to Putin’s brutal regime and call out his murderous machine for what it is. Today’s sanctions are the latest step in our unwavering defense of European security, as we continue to squeeze Russia’s finances and strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a press release.
Politics Editor