The EU has imposed sanctions on Russian media figure Xenia Fedorova over what it said was her role in Russian “hybrid activities”, including foreign information manipulation and interference aimed at undermining democracy and stability in the bloc.
Restrictive measures were adopted by the Council of the EU, which said on Thursday that Fedorova was targeted in particular for engaging in foreign information manipulation and interference, often shortened to FIMI — a term used for efforts to manipulate information and influence public debate from abroad.
Fedorova is a former senior executive of Russia Today (RT) France and served as its President and Director of Information.
The Council said she participated in implementing and disseminating RT France’s editorial line, including pro-Russian narratives in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
After RT’s broadcasting activities were suspended in the EU, Fedorova continued to disseminate narratives aligned with those promoted by Russian authorities in French media including CNews, Europe 1 and Le JDNews.
Those narratives concerned the war against Ukraine, European support for Ukraine, NATO and relations between Russia and the EU.
What the sanctions mean
The decision brings the total under the EU’s sanctions regime for Russia’s destabilising activities to 81 individuals and 20 entities, according to the Council.
Those listed are subject to an asset freeze, and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to them.
The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The sanctions framework was set up on 8 October 2024 to target people and organisations engaged in actions and policies by the Russian government that the EU says undermine the bloc’s values and the security, stability, independence and integrity of its member states.
In conclusions published after a meeting on 18 and 19 June 2026, the European Council condemned what it called recent hybrid attacks against the EU and its member states and cited “persistent hybrid campaigns” by hostile actors, notably Russia and Belarus.
