U.S. targets Russian actors involved in efforts to sabotage U.S. elections

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. government has taken steps to punish Russian agents who sabotaged the 2016 elections.

On September 30, the United States announced it continues to take action in response to Russian attempts to influence U.S. democratic processes by imposing sanctions on four entities and seven individuals associated with the Internet Research Agency and its financier, Yevgeniy Prigozhin. This action increases pressure on Prigozhin by targeting his luxury assets, including three aircraft and a vessel.

The State Department announced, “Let this serve as a warning: any actors who continue to engage with these individuals, companies, aircraft, or vessel may also be subject to future sanctions. The U.S. government will continue to work to ensure that Prigozhin and others like him find no refuge or comfort as long as they carry out destabilizing activities that threaten the interests of the United States and its allies and partners.

“We have been clear: We will not tolerate foreign interference in our elections. The United States will continue to push back against malign actors who seek to subvert our democratic processes and we will not hesitate to impose further costs on Russia for its destabilizing and unacceptable activities.”

It has been widely reported that Russia will again attempt to use social media, mainly, and other possible methods to pry a slim, gullible margin of American voters who are susceptible to outrageous, clearly fake posts, to vote in certain ways in upcoming elections in the U.S. Some say, war can be conducted with tanks and bombs, or with psychological tactics like influencing elections to put into power politicians who may be friendly to the adversary.