Sanctioning Russia-linked disinformation Network for trying to influence US election

#UnitedStates; #RussiaLinkedDisinformationNetwork; #Sanctions; #influecingUSElections

​United States/Canadian-Media:  Sanctions are being imposed today by the United States (US) on seven individuals and four entities, who are part of a Russia-linked foreign influence network associated with Andrii Derkach, Michael R. Pompei, Secretary of State of US said. 

Fake News media. Image credit: Pixaby

Derkach, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, has been an active Russian agent for more than a decade, maintaining close connections with Russian intelligence services and who was designated on September 10, 2020, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848 for his attempt to influence the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.

Former Ukraine Government officials Konstantin Kulyk, Oleksandr Onyshchenko, Andriy Telizhenko, and current member of the Ukrainian parliament Oleksandr Dubinsky have publicly appeared with or affiliated themselves with Derkach through the coordinated dissemination and promotion of fraudulent malicious narratives that U.S. Government officials have engaged in corrupt dealings in Ukraine. 

These efforts and narratives are consistent with or in support of Derkach’s objectives to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election. 

As such, these individuals have been designated pursuant to E.O. 13848 for having directly or indirectly engaged in, sponsored, concealed, or otherwise been complicit in foreign influence in an attempt to undermine the 2020 U.S. elections.

Today’s action also includes the designation of Petro Zhuravel, Dmytro Kovalchuk, and Anton Simonenko for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Derkach