The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it had seized 32 web domains that the country has used for its covert campaigns, and the Biden administration condemned Russian efforts to influence the 2024 U.S. election.
The action also targeted two employees of RT, a Russian state media outlet that was previously known as Russia Today and offers content in English.
The duo was accused of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Collectively, the two actions are among the most significant measures implemented by the Biden White House to address the Russian government’s escalating efforts, which the intelligence community has identified as “the primary threat to U.S. elections.”
“As of noon today, we’ve seized those sites, rendered them inoperable, and made clear to the world what they are: Russian attempts to interfere in our elections and influence our society,” FBI director Christopher Wray announced.
The Russian endeavor, which was dubbed “Doppelganger,” utilized a combination of techniques, including the creation of websites with slightly altered web addresses that resemble U.S. news agencies, such as The Washington Post, and are adorned with pro-Russian narratives.
Additionally, it established additional media identities to distribute Russian content.
The two RT employees, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyev, are accused of leading a $10 million scheme to pressure a Tennessee-based company and its two directors to conceal Russian involvement.
The content they published was intended to “amplify domestic divisions” on topics such as inflation and immigration.
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