The UK government has accused Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) of running a sustained cyber-hacking campaign that targeted politicians, public figures, and other individuals in positions of influence.
The operation, linked by UK authorities to a unit identified as FSB Centre 18, is alleged to have stolen and published sensitive material through targeted cyber-attacks, including documents related to the 2019 election.
Despite repeated denials from Moscow, Foreign Secretary David Cameron described the group’s behaviour as “completely unacceptable.”
When the Russian ambassador could not be reached, UK officials summoned and met with the deputy head of mission at the Russian Embassy on Wednesday to convey the government’s serious concerns.
“We are exposing their malign attempts at influence and shining a light on yet another example of how Russia chooses to operate on the global stage,” Cameron said.
The FSB-linked unit is accused of carrying out highly focused intrusions against politicians, civil servants, journalists, academics and other public figures. The UK imposed sanctions on two individuals associated with the group, including a serving FSB officer.
The people designated are:
- Ruslan Aleksandrovich Peretyatko, identified as an FSB intelligence officer and linked to the group known as Star Blizzard (also referred to as the Callisto Group)
- Andrey Stanislavovich Korinets, also known as Alexey Doguzhiev, named as a member of Star Blizzard (Callisto Group)
According to investigators, the attacks involved extensive reconnaissance, building fake accounts to impersonate trusted contacts, and specifically targeting private email accounts. Among those affected was SNP MP Stewart McDonald, who reported emails stolen earlier this year.
Centre 18 has allegedly been associated with the FSB since at least 2015 and is said to remain active in cyber-espionage. US authorities are expected to announce parallel actions, underscoring concerns about efforts to target democratic processes internationally.
Although officials say the campaign has not succeeded in altering democratic outcomes, publicly naming and sanctioning the actors aims to disrupt their activities and increase awareness ahead of major elections around the world.
Members of the House of Commons warned that these actions reflect a persistent pattern and suggested mandatory cybersecurity training for MPs and their staff to help mitigate such threats.
The group’s primary focus, according to the UK government, is intelligence collection: hacking email accounts, extracting data, and sometimes passing information to other actors who then publish it, undermining Western interests.
With the UK preparing for potential elections next year, officials have issued advisories to raise awareness of the cyber threat. The upcoming US election is also highlighted as a likely target for similar interference.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said: “As I warned earlier this year, state actors, and the ‘Wagner-style’ sub-state hackers they use to do their dirty work, will continue to target our public institutions and our democratic processes.
“We will continue to call this activity out, to raise our defences, and to take action against the perpetrators.”
The UK’s disclosure of FSB Centre 18’s activities comes as part of a coordinated effort with the United States following a months-long investigation. As governments and organisations prepare for future cyber threats, the priority remains protecting democratic institutions from sophisticated hacking groups.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “An attack against our democratic institutions is an attack on our most fundamental British values and freedoms.
“The UK will not tolerate foreign interference and, through the National Security Act, we are working to make the UK a more difficult environment for those seeking to meddle in our democratic institutions.”
(Photo by Marcin Nowak on Unsplash)
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