US Treasury Says Sanctioned Ukrainians Engaged In 'Russia-Directed Influence Operations'

The four individuals targeted in the latest Russia-related sanctions are engaged in running influence and disinformation campaigns on behalf of Russian security services, the US Treasury Department said on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2022) The four individuals targeted in the latest Russia-related sanctions are engaged in running influence and disinformation campaigns on behalf of Russian security services, the US Treasury Department said on Thursday.

"The individuals designated today act at the direction of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), an intelligence service sanctioned by the United States, and support Russia-directed influence operations against the United States and its allies and partners. The four individuals have played various roles in Russia's global influence campaign to destabilize sovereign countries in support of the Kremlin's political objectives," the Treasury Department said.

The sanctions were the latest action taken to target purveyors of Russian "disinformation" and are intended to target, undermine and expose Russia's "destabilization efforts" in Ukraine, the Treasury Department added.

The sanctioned individuals are two opposition lawmakers, Taras Kozak and Oleh Voloshyn; ex-member of parliament Volodymyr Oliynyk; and Vladimir Sivkovich, former vice prime minister and deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. The former also owns Ukrainian tv channels NewsOne, 112 Ukraine and ZIK.