WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced fresh sanctions against Russian agents and companies Wednesday to punish the country for its “continued disregard for international norms.”
The move was intended to smack Russia for cyberattacks, interfering in the 2016 US election and the attempted assassination of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in March.
Among those sanctioned were nine Main Intelligence Directorate or GRU officers for “their direct involvement in efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.”
All the individuals had been previously been indicted as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe in July.
Additionally, the two GRU officers the British government has charged for the nerve agent attack of Skripal and his daughter — Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov — were sanctioned.
Four other Russians were sanctioned as hackers, which included targeting the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and other international groups.
Seven companies and individuals were hit for their connections to “Project Lakhta,” Russia’s effort to interfere with political and electoral systems around the globe.
In another announcement, the Treasury Department said it would lift sanctions on three Russian companies after Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska gave up control of them.