A key target is "Africa Corps," a Kremlin-backed mercenary group active in Africa, making the UK the first G7 nation to impose direct sanctions on it. The group, along with other Russian-linked mercenaries, has been implicated in destabilising regions like Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic. By disrupting these operations, the UK intends to counter Russia's influence and its efforts to exploit Africa’s resources.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasised the UK's commitment to exposing and disrupting Russian influence networks, underscoring the Kremlin's ongoing attempts to destabilise European and African regions. In line with recent sanctions, the UK has also put a stop on Russian disinformation efforts, condemned chemical weapon use and imposed penalties on Russian cybercriminals and propagandists.

The press release can be found here.