Thread by @RussellSieg

@USTreasury Sanctions Russians Bankrolling Putin and Russia-Backed Influence Actors

Blocked are 3 Russian elites, 2 spouses, 3 adult children, 6 companies, 1 of Russia’s largest privately-owned aircraft, and 1 of world’s largest superyachts
home.treasury.gov/news/press-rel…

These actions were taken in close coordination with the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, the ROK, and Australia, demonstrating global support for Ukraine and the commitment to hold Russia’s authoritarian leadership responsible for their actions.

As a part of transatlantic effort to further deny Russian elites the benefits of their kleptocracy & ensure effective implementation of sanctions, Treasury will share financial Intel & other evidence where appropriate w/DOJ to support criminal prosecutions & asset seizures

@SecYellen:
"We are demonstrating our commitment to impose massive costs on Putin’s closest confidants and their family members and freeze their assets in response to the brutal attack on Ukraine. We also continue to target Russia’s destabilizing disinformation efforts."

InfoRos is a news agency that is primarily run by the GRU’s 72nd Main Intelligence Information Center (GRITs). GRITs is a unit within Russia’s Information Operations Troops, which is identified as Russia’s military force for conducting cyber espionage, influence, and

offensive cyber operations.

InfoRos operates under 2 organizations, “InfoRos, OOO” and “IA InfoRos.” InfoRos has used a network of websites, including nominally independent websites, to spread false conspiracy narratives and disinformation promoted by GRU officials,

to include spreading disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 15, 2021, InfoRos, OOO and IA InfoRos were designated pursuant to section 224(a)(1)(B) of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) , E.O. 13694 as amended, and E.O. 13382,

for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of the GRU, a person designated under section 224(a)(1)(A) of CAATSA, and pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, and E.O. 13382.

Around 2012, InfoRos reportedly began branching out throughout Russia registering over 1,000 online sites, effectively creating a network of networks that secretly distributes the Russian government’s preferred account of events.

1,000 Disinfo websites? Network of Networks

In early December 2021, a Ukraine-based InfoRos contributor submitted an editorial for publication on the InfoRos website, intended for Russian readership, blaming Ukraine for provoking Russia

about the Press claiming Biden Admin was cooking up phony "false flags"

was it really InfoRos, a propaganda outlet run by the GRU, Russia's military Intel agency, propagating those false flags?

@EricBoehlert

https://twitter.com/EricBoehlert/status/1499013726816583685?s=20&t=JlwY0smiWrP8jpS1X9_SHQ

@USTreasury is sanctioning Alexander Dugin, his daughter, and their media influence organizations funded and controlled by Prigozhin!

In 2020, media influence organization Project Lakhta, owned by Prigozhin, developed a new website, United World International (UWI)

Since at least 2014, Project Lakhta has used among other things, fictitious online personas that posed as U.S. persons to interfere in U.S. elections, as the IRA did during the 2016 U.S. election. In 2022, UWI suggested that Ukraine would “perish” if it is admitted to NATO.

UWI’s chief editor, Darya Aleksandrovna Dugina (Dugina), sought contributors to write articles on UWI. Dugina’s father, Alexander Dugin (Dugin), was first designated in 2015 pursuant to E.O. 13660 for being responsible for or complicit in actions or policies that threaten

the peace, security, stability, or sovereignty / territorial integrity of Ukraine. Dugin was a leader of Eurasian Youth Union, which actively recruited individuals w/military experience to fight on behalf of self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic

Putin's #LittleGreenMen

Dugin controls Geopolitica, a website that serves as a platform for Russian ultra-nationalists to spread disinformation and propaganda targeting Western and other audiences.

Is this where @TuckerCarlson gets his talking points?

For example, on February 8, 2022, Geopolitica published an article falsely accusing the U.S. and NATO of provoking war with Russia, in order to “further terrorize the American people in all sorts of malicious ways”

Can't wait to see who Treasury sanctions next!
home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/…