US imposes sanctions on 19 Russians

The US has imposed sanctions on 19 Russians, accusing them of interference in the 2016 US election and alleged cyber-assaults.

They consist of thirteen folks charged final month by Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin accused the Russians of « negative cyber-assaults, and intrusions concentrated on serious infrastructure ».

He stated the sanctions would purpose « ongoing irascible assaults » by Russia.

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The measures are being described in Washington because the strongest action taken by the Trump administration so far against Moscow.

Russia says it has already begun drawing up counter-measures.

Who’s been targeted?

Five entities collectively with the Russian navy intelligence company GRU are targeted in Thursday’s sanctions.

Also blacklisted is the St Petersburg-based Internet Study Agency, which is accused of engineering an on-line disinformation campaign to sway the 2016 US presidential election.

Yevgeny Prigozhin – an oligarch who allegedly ran the company and is identified as « Putin’s chef » – and 12 of the company’s personnel are also hit by the sanctions.

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All thirteen were charged in a February indictment by US special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating allegations that Russia meddled in the US vote to back Donald Trump identify on.

Beneath the US sanctions, the Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB, and six of its workers are subjected to penalties for cyber-assaults.

The US treasury secretary stated there may perhaps perhaps perhaps be further sanctions to withhold Russian « officials and oligarchs liable for his or her destabilising actions ».

He did now no longer specify when these penalties may perhaps perhaps perhaps be imposed, nonetheless stated they’d reduce the folks’ obtain entry to to the US financial device.

What are they accused of?

« The IRA [Internet Research Agency] created and managed a tall preference of counterfeit on-line personas that posed as legitimate US folks to consist of grassroots organisations, ardour groups, and a tell political celebration on social media, » the Treasury Department statement stated on Thursday.

« Through this activity, the IRA posted thousands of adverts that reached thousands of thousands of folks on-line. »

The penalties freeze any property the folks and entities may perhaps perhaps perhaps honest admire in the US and prohibits American electorate from conducting industry with them.

The Trump administration also accused Russia on Thursday of an ongoing operation to hack and ponder about on the US energy utilities.

US officials dispute the Russians hacked computer programs to conduct « network reconnaissance » of programs that whisk the American electrical energy grid and other industrial infrastructure.

What many were staring at for

Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

More than 16 months after the 2016 presidential election, extra than a 12 months after the US intelligence community concluded the US had been targeted by Russian hackers and influencers and forty five days after the congressionally mandated reduce-off date to impose punitive sanctions on Russia, the Trump administration has acted.

Curiously ample, the list of folks and groups identified by Department of Treasury for punishment looks to admire relied on the efforts of Robert Mueller’s self sustaining investigation into Russia’s election meddling and that you may perhaps perhaps perhaps deem ties to the Trump campaign – an inquiry the president has called a baseless « witch hunt ».

The statement from Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin referenced Russia’s « ongoing irascible assaults ». That was once in fascinating disagreement to Mr Trump’s White Dwelling comments on Thursday in line with a ask about Russian actions, saying the UK nerve agent attack « looks adore the Russians are on the serve of it » and that he takes it « very severely » – whereas declining to discuss the recent sanctions at all.

The US has condemned the poison attack, nonetheless it absolutely has yet to admire a look on the UK’s lead and explain divulge action against the Russian authorities in response. Unlike the election-meddling costs, the US may perhaps perhaps perhaps honest have to pass extra rapid in this case.

What does Russia dispute?

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated Moscow was once quiet about the recent sanctions, in line with Interfax news company.

Mr Ryabkov stated Moscow had already begun drawing up retaliatory measures.

In the meantime Mr Prigozhin stated he was once unconcerned by the sanctions on him because he did now no longer admire any industry interests linked to the US, Russian media reported.

« I in actuality were sanctioned perhaps three or four times – I’m bored stiff in counting, I will be able to’t be conscious. I develop now no longer admire any industry in the US or with Individuals. I’m now no longer afraid by this. With the exception of that now I’ll terminate going to McDonald’s, » he was once quoted as saying by RIA news company.