Recommendations regarding countermeasures against propagandists, cybercriminals and cyberterrorists of the Russian Federation, who operate under the cover of the so-called of Russian “cybersport”
Among the mandatory countermeasures against destructive activities of the Russian Federation in cyberspace are their exposure, reporting to the public of Ukraine and partner countries information about the customers, the true content and purpose of the so-called illegal and destructive activities of Russian “cybersport”, as well as the dangerous results of their “activity”. In this context, it is of particular importance to make efforts to ban or impose other sanctions on the participation of the so-called of Russian “cyberathletes” under the national flag of the Russian Federation in international esports competitions in Saudi Arabia in 2024.
Among the possible measures for neutralization and preventive response to anti-Ukrainian activity in cyberspace is the purposeful dissemination of the Ukrainian position in the course of the activities of e-sports organizations, customers of the services of e-athletes, as well as during international cooperation in the information sphere of governmental and non-governmental structures of Ukraine within the framework of the activities of the “European Federation of e-Sports” EEF, UN, cooperation with relevant EU and NATO structures.
Special attention should be drawn to the concentration of attention of the Prince of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, who was elected as the head of the “International eSports Organization” IESF, on his personal reputational risks due to the possible participation in 2024 of the Russian so-called “cyber sportsmen” in competitions in Saudi Arabia under the flag of the Russian Federation.
It is important to counter the so-called anti-Ukrainian activities. of Russian “cybersport” has a public exposure of the sources of financing of the so-called Russian “cyber sportsmen” in the Russian Federation and abroad, including destructive and corrupt activities of the former head of the IESF, Vlad Marinescu.
A possible practical way of preventing the participation of Russian so-called “cyberathletes” in international tournaments is a decision of the local authorities of the country hosting the tournament regarding the non-issuance of entry visas to these so-called to Russian “cyberathletes” or failure to provide “security guarantees”, as happened during the 2023 tournament in Romania. The specified measures require close cooperation and coordination of relevant actions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine with the “Ukrainian eSports Federation”.
In addition, since the “International eSports Organization” IESF is officially registered in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and its activities are carried out within the framework of the legislation of the Republic of Korea, there is a possibility and there is a need to initiate a lawsuit by Ukraine against the IESF in the Republic of Korea on the basis of the IESF’s facilitation of illegal criminal actions FCS of the Russian Federation, which violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and therefore also the requirements of the legislation of the Republic of Korea.