Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1566 of 28 July 2023 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine
Date: 2023-07-28
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Russia, Ukraine, disinformation, economic sanctions, international sanctions, legal person, natural person, territorial dispute, territorial law








LI2023190EN.01002101.xml










28.7.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


LI 190/21








            COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2023/1566
of 28 July 2023
         
amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:







(1)


On 17 March 2014, the Council adopted Decision 2014/145/CFSP (1).












(2)


The Union remains unwavering in its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.












(3)


In its conclusions of 23 March 2023, the European Council reiterated the Union’s resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the United Nations Charter. The European Council also reiterated that the Union remains committed to maintaining and increasing collective pressure on Russia, including through possible further restrictive measures. The European Council also stated that the Union will intensify its work with partners to counter false Russian narratives and disinformation about the war.












(4)


In the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Russian actors have conducted a digital information manipulation campaign named ‘RRN’ (Recent Reliable News), aiming at manipulating information and disseminating propaganda in support of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. That campaign, in which government bodies or bodies affiliated to the Russian State have participated, relies on fake web pages usurping the identity of national media outlets and government websites as well as fake accounts on social media.












(5)


In view of the gravity of the situation, the Council considers that seven persons and five entities responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine should be added to the list of persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in the Annex to Decision 2014/145/CFSP.












(6)


Further action by the Union is needed in order to implement certain measures.












(7)


Decision 2014/145/CFSP should therefore be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
The Annex to Decision 2014/145/CFSP is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.


Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




Done at Brussels, 28 July 2023.


For the Council


The President

P. NAVARRO RÍOS
            





(1)  Council Decision 2014/145/CFSP of 17 March 2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (OJ L 78, 17.3.2014, p. 16).




ANNEX
The following persons and entities are added to the list of persons, entities and bodies set out in the Annex to Decision 2014/145/CFSP:






 


Persons










 


Name


Identifying information


Statement of Reasons


Date of listing




‘1578.


Timofey Vladimirovitch VASSILIEV
Тимофей Bладимирович ВАСИЛЬЕВ
A.k.a. Timofey VI
Тимофей ВИ


Function: Head of the Department for strategic guidance of ANO Dialog
POB: Moscow, Russian Federation
Nationality: Russian
Gender: male


Timofey Vassiliev is the Head of the Department for strategic guidance of ANO Dialog, a Russian non-profit organisation created by the Moscow Department of Information and Technology (DIT) in 2019 and linked to the presidential administration, which has been disseminating online propaganda about the illegally annexed territories in Ukraine. Timofey Vassiliev, runs the popular “fact-checking” Telegram account and subsequent domains “War on Fakes” which spread disinformation about the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, Timofey Vassiliev is responsible for supporting and implementing actions and policies which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




1579.


Ilya Andreïevitch GAMBACHIDZE
Илья Андреевич ГАМБАЧИДЗЕ


Function: Founder of Structura National Technologies and Social Design Agency
Nationality: Russian
Gender: male


Ilya Gambachidze is the founder of Structura National Technologies and Social Design Agency, two Russian entities involved in the Russian-led digital disinformation campaign “RRN” (Recent Reliable News) aiming at manipulating information and sharing disinformation in support of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Ilya Gambachidze formerly worked as a counsellor to the Vice-President of the Duma, Piotr Tolstoi. Structura National Technologies and Social Design Agency has been identified as the key actor of the campaign, responsible for the creation of fake websites impersonating government organisations and legitimate media in Europe (primarily Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom) and for boosting the pro-Russian “RRN” campaign on social media. Therefore, Ilya Gambachidze is responsible for supporting and implementing actions and policies which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




1580.


Aleksandr Gennad’yevich STARUNSKY
Александр Геннадьевич СТАРУНСКИЙ


Function: Founder of the Institute of the Russian Diaspora
DOB: 12.6.1970
Gender: male
TIN: 771989171763


Aleksandr Starunsky is a Russian military intelligence officer and former commander of GRU PsyOps unit 54777. He is a founder of the Institute of the Russian Diaspora, a GRU front organisation and an integral part of the media organisation Inforos. The Institute of the Russian Diaspora owns an online media presence called russkie.org which disseminates Russian disinformation and propaganda about the war of aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, Aleksandr Starunsky is responsible for supporting and implementing actions and policies which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




1581.


Anastasia Sergeevna KIRILLOVA
Анастасия Сергеевна КИРИЛЛОВА


Function: General Director of Inforos
DOB: 13.12.1986
Gender: female
TIN: 771674318370


Anastasia Kirillova is a founder and General Director of Inforos, an online news agency responsible for setting up more than 270 media proxy online news outlets that disseminate propaganda in support of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. It is a front organisation for Unit 54777 of the Russian military intelligence service GRU, responsible for psychological operations. Therefore, Anastasia Kirillova is responsible for supporting and implementing actions and polices which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




1582.


Nina Viktorovna DOROKHOVA
Нина Викторовна ДОРОХОВА


Function: General Director of Inforos
DOB: 20.11.1965
Gender: female
TIN: 505202442068


Nina Dorokhova is a founder and General Director of Inforos, an online news agency responsible for setting up more than 270 media proxy online news outlets that disseminate propaganda in support of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. It is a front organisation for Unit 54777 of the Russian military intelligence service GRU, responsible for psychological operations. Therefore, Nina Dorokhova is responsible for supporting and implementing actions and policies which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




1583.


Sergey Yurievich PANTELEYEV
a.k.a. PANTELEEV
Сергей Юрьевич ПАНТЕЛЕЕВ


Function: Intelligence officer in GRU unit 54777
DOB: 15.3.1972
POB: Lugansk, Ukraine
Gender: male
TIN: 772916129659


Sergey Panteleyev is a member of GRU unit 54777 and founder of the Institute of the Russian Diaspora, a GRU front organisation and an integral part of Inforos’s online disinformation network. The Institute of the Russian Diaspora owns an online media presence called russkie.org which disseminates Russian disinformation and propaganda about the war of aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, Sergey Panteleyev is responsible for supporting and implementing actions and policies which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




1584.


Denis Valerievich TYURIN
Денис Валерьевич ТЮРИН


Function: GRU officer
DOB: 1.4.1976
POB: Moscow
Gender: male
TIN: 772807385405


Denis Tyurin is a GRU intelligence officer and founder of Inforos, an online news agency responsible for setting up more than 270 media proxy online news outlets that disseminate propaganda in support of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. It is a front organisation for Unit 54777 of the Russian military intelligence service GRU, responsible for psychological operations. Therefore, Denis Tyurin is responsible for supporting and implementing actions and policies which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


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Entities










 


Name


Identifying information


Reasons


Date of listing




‘245.


Social Design Agency
a.k.a.
“Agentsvo Sotsialnogo Proektirovania aka ASP”


Address: Moscow Bolshoy Kislovsky per, 1, building 2
Type of entity: Technology and Information Company
Place of registration: Russia
Date of registration: established 2001
Principal place of business: Russia


Social Design Agency is a Russian IT company closely linked to Russian political power. Since 2022, it has been involved in the Russian-led digital disinformation campaign “RRN” (Recent Reliable News) aiming at manipulating information and sharing disinformation in support of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Social Design Agency has been identified as a key actor of the campaign, responsible for the creation of fake websites impersonating government organisations and legitimate media in Europe (primarily Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom) and for boosting the pro-Russian “RRN” campaign on social media. Therefore, Social Design Agency is materially supporting actions which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




246.


Structura National Technologies
a.k.a.
“Struktura”
Russian:
ООО “ГК СТРУКТУРА”


Address: Moscow municipal district Arbat per Bolshoy Kislovskii 1 building 2 premises/room. i/42
Type of entity: Technology and Information Company.
Place of registration: Russia
Date of registration: established 2009
Registration number: TIN 7703438908
Principal place of business: Russia


Structura National Technologies is a Russian IT company closely linked to Russian political power. Since 2022, it has been involved in the Russian-led digital disinformation campaign “RRN” (Recent Reliable News) aiming at manipulating information and sharing disinformation in support of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Structura National Technologies has been identified as a key actor of the campaign, responsible for the creation of fake websites impersonating government organisations and legitimate media in Europe (primarily Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom) and for boosting the pro-Russian “RRN” campaign on social media. Therefore, Structura National Technologies is materially supporting actions which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




247.


ANO Dialog
AHO Диалог


Address:119021, st. Timura Frunze, d.11, p. 1, BC Demidov, Moscow
Type of entity: Autonomous non-profit organisation
Place of registration: Russia
Date of registration: 2019
Registration number: TIN 9709056472
Principal place of business: Russia


ANO Dialog is a Russian non-profit organisation created by the Moscow Department of Information and Technology (DIT) in 2019 and closely linked to the presidential administration. It is headed by Alexey Goreslavsky, former deputy head of the President’s Department for Public Projects (OPS). ANO Dialog has been disseminating online propaganda about the illegally annexed territories in Ukraine. ANO Dialog provides instructions to the Readovka Telegram channel that publishes disinformation about the war of aggression against Ukraine in support of the Kremlin’s propaganda. ANO Dialog is linked to the popular “fact-checking” Telegram account and subsequent domains “War on Fakes”, run by ANO’s Head of Strategic Areas Development of ANO Dialog, Timofey Vasiliev, that disseminates fake news and propaganda about the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, ANO Dialog is materially supporting actions which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




248.


Inforos OOO IA
ООО ИА ИНФОРОС


Address: 117218, MOSCOW, Intracity territory of the city of federal significance municipal district academic, 13 Krzhizhanovskogo str., k. 2, office 511
Type of entity: Media organisation
Place of registration: Moscow
Date of registration: 2/6/2003
TIN: 7727214569
Principal place of business: Moscow


Inforos is an online news agency responsible for setting up more than 270 media proxy online news outlets that disseminate propaganda in support of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. It is a front organisation for Unit 54777 of the Russian military intelligence service GRU, responsible for psychological operations.
The propaganda disseminated by Inforos and its various proxy outlets aims to propagate the idea of Ukraine as a “Nazi state” and to falsely paint the war of Russian aggression as a “proxy war” of “the west” against Russia and thus to undermine western support for Ukraine. Therefore, Inforos is materially supporting actions which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023




249.


Institute of the Russian Diaspora
ИНСТИТУТ РУССКОГО ЗАРУБЕЖЬЯ


Address: 117218, MOSCOW CITY, str. Krzhizhanovskoy, d.13, str.2
Type of entity: “Advising on commercial activities and management”
Place of registration: Moscow
Date of registration: 3/11/2005
Registration number: TIN: 7727536630
Principal place of business: Moscow


The Institute of the Russian Diaspora is a GRU front organisation and an integral part of Inforos’s online disinformation network. It was co-founded by Inforos-founder Denis Tyurin. Additionally, Denis Tyurin has registered the official propaganda website of the Institute himself, using an official Inforos email address. The Institute owns an online media presence called russkie.org which disseminates Russian disinformation and propaganda about the war of aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, the Institute of the Russian diaspora is materially supporting actions and policies which undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.


28.7.2023’