The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

UK newly requires everyone working for Russia to register their activities

by Kateryna Hodunova April 2, 2025 11:50 AM 2 min read
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in London, on Dec. 12, 2024. (Benjamin Cremel / WPA Pool / Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

The British government has obliged everyone working for the Russian state in the U.K. to openly declare their activities starting on July 1, according to the government's statement on April 1.

A number of suspected spy networks run by Minsk and Moscow have been uncovered in Europe over the past years as European countries threw their support behind Ukraine, resisting Russia's all-out war since 2022.

In response to espionage concerns, the U.K. is adding Russia to the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), a tool introduced in 2023 to protect the country against harmful covert activities. Criminal prosecution is possible in case of violations.

Russia became the second country to be included in this category after Iran was added in March.

"For too long, the Kremlin has been responsible for unacceptable threats to our national security — from damaging cyberattacks, malign attempts to interfere in our democratic processes, and attempted assassinations in this country," U.K. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

"Our new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme gives us the power to take much stronger action against any Russian threat."

The British Parliament has also announced that the regulations necessary for the scheme's full launch on July 1 have been introduced.

The scheme requires registration of any political influence activity in the U.K. conducted on behalf of a foreign state. This will also allow MPs to examine whether the interlocutor is acting on behalf of a foreign state to make informed decisions about interaction.

Massive data leak: Ukrainian IDs, other documents exposed by years of cyber negligence
Shoddy cyber security at Ukrainian vehicle inspections has exposed hundreds of thousands of personal documents for the past four years, placing reams of personal data at risk of exploitation by bad actors, including Russian intelligence and hackers. Largely scans of passports, taxpayer identificati…

News Feed

MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.