EU Sanctions Four Propagandists for Hybrid Warfare and Disinformation Against Ukraine

In a significant move to counter what it describes as coordinated disinformation campaigns, the European Union expanded its sanctions list on March 16 to include four high-profile media figures accused of manipulating information and engaging in hybrid warfare activities targeting EU member states.

The new sanctions target two Russian nationals—Ernest Matskavichyus, a host on state-controlled television channel Russia-1, and popular blogger and radio personality Sergei Klyuchenkov, who operates under the pseudonym Sergei Mardan. The measures also extend to British citizen Graham Phillips and former French soldier Adrien Boke, who recently obtained Russian citizenship.

European officials cited specific activities that led to these individuals being sanctioned. Graham Phillips has reportedly played a substantial role in justifying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through systematic disinformation efforts. His activities include regularly producing video footage from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, conducting interviews with captured British service members, and publishing what the EU characterizes as propaganda about Ukrainian regions under Russian control.

Adrien Boke, meanwhile, has been identified as an active promoter of Kremlin messaging throughout Europe and within Russia itself. According to EU documentation, Boke has deliberately appeared at symbolic locations related to the conflict, participated in Russian television programs, distributed pro-Russian content through his social media accounts, and collaborated with media outlets directly funded by the Kremlin.

This latest round of sanctions represents a continuation of the EU’s systematic approach to penalizing individuals and organizations involved in justifying Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In January, Brussels added several other prominent figures to its sanctions list, including television presenters Katerina Andreyeva and Pavel Zarubin, along with their colleagues. Additional sanctions at that time targeted TV host Maria Sittel, sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev, Kherson-born ballet performer Sergei Polunin, and Russian rapper Roma Zhigan (whose legal surname is Chumakov).

The sanctions typically include asset freezes and travel bans throughout the European Union, effectively limiting these individuals’ ability to operate within EU territory or access financial resources held in European institutions.

European officials have framed these measures as part of a broader strategy to combat disinformation campaigns that threaten the stability and security of EU member states. The sanctions highlight growing concerns about hybrid warfare techniques—combining information manipulation with other destabilizing activities—that European intelligence and security agencies have increasingly documented since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Media experts note that the targeting of non-Russian nationals like Phillips and Boke signals an expansion of the EU’s approach to countering foreign influence operations. By including citizens from Western countries who amplify Russian narratives, the EU is acknowledging the transnational nature of modern propaganda networks.

The European External Action Service, the EU’s diplomatic arm, has repeatedly warned about coordinated disinformation efforts aimed at undermining European solidarity with Ukraine and sowing discord among EU member states regarding their support for Kyiv.

These new sanctions come amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West, with Moscow continuing to frame its invasion of Ukraine as justified while facing increasing international isolation and economic penalties. The EU’s focus on media figures underscores the central role information warfare plays in modern geopolitical conflicts, particularly in the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has featured unprecedented levels of information operations alongside conventional military activities.

Brussels has emphasized that these measures demonstrate its commitment to countering malign influence operations and protecting the European information space from manipulation by foreign actors.