Britain on Tuesday announced new sanctions targeting a Russian cyber entity responsible for facilitating "crippling ransomware attacks" globally.

In a statement, the government said key Russian cybercrime syndicate ZSERVERS is responsible for aiding merciless ransomware attacks around the world.

It said the new sanctions also target six ZSERVERS members who are part of a "prolific cybercrime supply chain." 

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said it is no surprise that the "most unscrupulous extortionists and cyber-criminals" run rampant from within Russian borders.

"We must counter their actions at every opportunity to safeguard the UK’s national security and deliver on our Plan for Change," he added. 

The UK says such attacks pose a clear and persistent threat to national security, disrupt essential services, compromise sensitive data and generated $1 billion from their victims globally in 2023 alone.