U.S. Sanctions Russian FSB Officers For Undermining Elections In Other Countries

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence officers that worked to try and influence the outcome of a local election, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Two Russians, Yegor Sergeyevich Popov and Aleksei Borisovich Sukhodolov — both are Russian Federal Security Service officers — have worked with other co-opted members of the service who were sanctioned by the U.S. last year for conducting foreign malign influence activities, the State Department said in a statement.

Popov is an FSB 2nd Service officer who served as Ionov's primary handler when Ionov conducted foreign malign influence activities in the United States and elsewhere, according to U.S. officials. Popov reported to Sukhodolov, who also worked with Ionov to conduct foreign malign influence operations around the world.

The sanctions freeze any assets that the sanctioned individuals hold in the U.S., and prohibit American entities and people from transacting with those individuals.

"To safeguard our democracy, as well as help protect our allies and partners, the United States will continue to act to deter and disrupt the Kremlin's malign influence operations," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

"The United States will not tolerate threats to our democracy, and today's action builds on the whole government approach to protect our system of representative government," U.S. Treasury Department official Brian Nelson added.

Alex Raufoglu