BRUSSELS, Belgium, Oct 2, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - The EU on Wednesday took a step towards sanctioning Russia for a string of recent hybrid and sabotage attacks across Europe, diplomats said.

The European Union and NATO have accused Moscow of being behind a spate of incidents aimed at destabilising the West as the two sides are at loggerheads over the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.

Authorities in several EU countries -- including Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia -- have reported uncovering plots or incidents including arson attacks masterminded by Moscow in recent months.

Ambassadors from the 27-nation EU meeting in Brussels approved setting up a new legal framework to impose visa bans and asset freezes on those responsible for the attacks.

Once the text is formally signed off next week the EU can then add the names of specific Russian agents or entities to the blacklist, diplomats said. 

European officials say they believe the Russian actions are aimed in part at undermining support for Kyiv as Moscow's war grinds on through a third year.

EU nations -- along with the United States -- have provided the vast bulk of support for Ukraine since the Kremlin launched its all-out invasion in February 2022. 

The EU has already imposed 14 rounds of unprecedented sanctions against Russia since it began its assault aimed at hampering the Kremlin's war machine. 

In a bid to curb malign activities by Moscow, a number of EU countries spearheaded by Prague have been pushing to introduce measures to stop Russian diplomats from moving freely around the bloc. 

There has so far been no overall support for the move and Hungary -- the friendliest country to Moscow in the bloc -- recently upset its EU counterparts by relaxing visa rules for Russians.