Biden imposed new Sanctions against Russian agent linked to Trump campaign

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US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Thursday and imposed a range of retaliatory measures against Russia for alleged election interference and malicious cyberactivity, including the widespread SolarWinds hack. The new measures sanction 32 entities and individuals for carrying out Russian government-directed attempts to influence the 2020 US presidential election, and 6 Russian companies for providing support to the Russian Intelligence Services’ cyber program. Point to be noted that the US is also expelling 10 Russian diplomats and putting in place economic restrictions. Key US intelligence agencies had already said Russia was the likely origin of the SolarWinds hack. It used tainted software from IT management company SolarWinds to penetrate multiple US federal agencies and at least 100 private companies.

The Biden administration formally named the Russian foreign intelligence service, the SVR. The National Security Agency, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, and the FBI issued a joint advisory statement. The administration said it’s also taking steps with allies to bolster cybersecurity and evaluating whether to take further action under the executive order to protect supply chains from exploitation by Russia. A US intelligence report issued in March and said that Russia spread disinformation about the 2020 election. However, there were no persistent attempts by foreign actors to hack voting infrastructure. The report also said Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized influence operations designed at denigrating President Biden’s candidacy and supporting former President Donald Trump, as well as undermining confidence in the election result. The new measures came 2 days after Biden spoke with Putin.

The White House said President Biden also warned Russia that the US would respond to cyber-intrusions and election interference but also proposing a summit meeting. It is noteworthy that a Russian intelligence agent also alleged of attempting to undermine US election integrity. Federal authorities said that Konstantin Kilimnik provided the Russian Intelligence Services with sensitive information on polling and campaign strategy for former president Donald Trump in 2016. The allegations connect to findings from Robert Mueller’s investigation and congressional investigations that assessed Kilimnik was fed information by former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. The Treasury Department’s sanctions announcement echoes allegations that Kilimnik sought to promote a false narrative that it was Ukraine, not Russia. The narrative backed efforts to interfere with the 2016 election and a plan to return former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to power.