Since the onset of the Russian military operation in Ukraine months ago, the West, including Britain, has taken a largely firm stance against Moscow, implementing numerous measures including economic sanctions and arming Kyiv. However, the "war of whispers" has remained a major concern for both sides, particularly in executing cyberattacks, which has compelled both Moscow and European countries to exercise caution and vigilance.
Urgent Investigation
The Russian Foreign Ministry has initiated an urgent investigation into a suspected cyber breach after personal information of government employees was revealed on social media, following a reported hacking of phones belonging to individuals through spyware. This news has caused significant upheaval in the country, leading officials to focus on the issue, especially as the scale of the data breach and the number of affected individuals were initially unclear, and the identities of those involved remain undetermined, according to British media reports.
Britain's Strong Stance
It is noteworthy that since the start of the military operation announced by Moscow on February 24, tensions between Russia and the West have escalated to unprecedented levels, resulting in heightened security alerts in Europe and support for Kyiv in terms of weapons, equipment, and humanitarian aid. European countries have sent missiles, defense systems, weapons, and vehicles, but have refrained from supplying aircraft or "qualitative" offensive weaponry.
Britain, in particular, has taken the strongest stance against the Russians. It has imposed a series of hefty sanctions that included excluding major Russian banks from the British financial system, freezing the assets owned by all Russian banks, and banning London-based companies from exporting spare parts or aviation technologies to Moscow. Furthermore, it classified the taking off, flying, or landing of Russian-operated aircraft, or those leased to Russian individuals, as a criminal offense under the law. Its sanctions also targeted a wide range of wealthy individuals and Russian officials, aiming to disrupt the Russian economy and impact the country’s richest figures.
