CHUZHBINA

And I can announce today that we will also specify Russia under the scheme.

Russia presents an acute threat to UK national security. In recent years, its hostile acts have ranged from the use of a deadly nerve agent in Salisbury, espionage, arson and cyber-attacks, including the targeting of UK parliamentarians through spear-phishing campaigns.

And clearly Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has highlighted its intent to undermine European and global security.

To ensure we are responding to the whole of state threat Russia poses, the government intends to specify the head of the state of Russia, their government, agencies and authorities – which will include their armed forces, intelligence services and police forces, parliaments and their judiciaries.

We also intend to specify several political parties which are controlled by Russia, including the United Russia Party.

What this means is that any person – either an individual or an entity such as a company – that is carrying out activity as part of any arrangement with those Russian entities will have to register with FIRS.

Should any of these foreign power-controlled entities – such as political parties – carry out activity in the UK directly, they would also have to register with FIRS.