US sanctions Russia over election meddling and cyberattacks

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (‘OFAC’) has designated five entities and 19 individuals in connection with Russia’s ‘continuing destabilising activities’, including interference in the 2016 US election and malicious cyberattacks affecting the US, including the NotPetya attack.

The sanctions were imposed under s224 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (‘CAATSA’), which targets cyber actors acting on behalf of the Russian government, and Executive Order 13694 ‘Blocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities’. Those sanctioned include the Federal Security Service (‘FSB’), the GRU (the intelligence arm of Russia’s military), as well as so-called Russian ‘troll farm’, Internet Research Agency.

OFAC has also amended Cyber General License No 1 ‘Authorizing Certain Transactions with the Federal Security Service’, which is now Cyber General License No 1A, and released four FAQs on the new licence and one updated CAATSA-related FAQ.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have also issued a joint technical alert on Russian cyber attacks on the US energy, nuclear, water, aviation and manufacturing sectors.

All the property and interests in property of those designated subject to US jurisdiction have been blocked, and US persons are not allowed to transact with them.

Nerve agent update

On 13 March, the US joined with France, Germany and the UK to issue a rare joint statement condemning the attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter using a military-grade nerve agent in Salisbury, UK. The EU said that it was ‘shocked’ by the act and has called on Russia to ‘address all questions urgently’ posed by the UK.

For OFAC’s Notice, see here:
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180315.aspx

For the US Treasury’s press release, see here:
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0312