UK Hits Russian Spy Agency with Sweeping Sanctions After Dawn Sturgess Inquiry Finds Putin Personally Ordered Salisbury Attack
The UK has today unveiled sweeping sanctions against Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, following the publication of the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry report, which confirms that President Vladimir Putin personally authorised the 2018 Salisbury poisonings.
The measures target the GRU in its entirety, along with 11 individuals implicated in Russia’s state-sponsored hostile activity, including eight cyber officers linked to operations against the Skripals. The Russian Ambassador has also been summoned to the Foreign Office to answer for Moscow’s continued campaign of malign activity on British soil.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“A British citizen lost her life, and others were put in grave danger on our soil, all because of deliberate, heinous orders from Putin and the GRU. We will not tolerate this brazen aggression.”
The GRU, notorious for cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns, and hybrid operations across Europe, was found responsible not only for the attempted murders of Sergei and Yulia Skripal but also for the death of Dawn Sturgess after exposure to Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent developed in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer added:
“The Salisbury poisonings shocked the nation. Dawn’s death was a needless tragedy, and today’s findings are a stark reminder of the Kremlin’s disregard for human life. The UK will continue to confront Putin’s murderous machine and defend European security.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:
“This was not just an attack on individuals—it was an assault on our country, our values, and international law. The Inquiry’s meticulous work has provided the family with answers they deserve.”
The new sanctions also extend to three GRU officers orchestrating hostile activity in Ukraine and across Europe, including plotting terror attacks on Ukrainian civilians. They form part of the UK’s ongoing effort to dismantle Russia’s hybrid operations, which blend cyber-attacks, disinformation, and criminal proxies to sow chaos and division.
The announcement comes just one day after the Foreign Secretary met with NATO allies to discuss Russian aggression, underscoring the UK’s leadership in tackling long-term threats from Moscow.
The full list of sanctioned individuals includes:
- Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (the GRU)
- Denis Aleksandrovich Smolyaninov
- Vladimir Lipchenko
- Yuriy Alekseyevich Sizov
- Boris Alekseyevich Antonov
- Anatoliy Vladimirovich Istomin
- Igor Andreyevich Bochka
- Aleksey Andreyevich Umets
- Denis Igorevich Denisenko
- Dmitriy Yuryevich Goloshubov
- Pavel Vyacheslavovich Yershov
- Nikolai Yuryevich Kozachek
The UK government reaffirmed its commitment to countering Russian hybrid threats, including cyber intrusions, sabotage, political interference, and disinformation campaigns, working closely with allies to protect security and stability across Europe.
