Russians sanctioned over election hacking and assassination attempt

The Trump administration slapped new sanctions on 18 Russian intelligence agents for a variety of activities, including interfering in the US presidential election, the attempted assassination of a former spy in Britain, and hacking international agencies that combat chemical weapons and doping. The latest round of sanctions bring the total of Russian individuals and entities the Trump administration has sanctioned to 272. Nine officers for Russia’s Main Intelligence Director (GRU) were sanctioned for playing a role in undermining the election. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said they were engaged in cyberactivities that targeted election systems and political parties. It said they released stolen documents related to the election, using online personas, and promoted their spread on social media accounts operated by the GRU. Treasury also sanctioned the chief accountant for a Russian company that took part in the information war by producing English language news sites such as USA Really, which played up divisive political issues and attempted to stage a political rally in the United States.