US hits Russian state media claiming sanctions for raising money for Moscow’s troops in Ukraine

By accusing a Kremlin news organization of collaborating with the Russian military and organizing fundraising drives to purchase body armor, sniper rifles, and other weapons for soldiers fighting in Ukraine, the U.S. official Department imposed fresh sanctions on Russian official media on Friday.

RT has been under fire in the past for spreading misinformation and propaganda on behalf of the Kremlin, but these latest claims imply that the outlet’s involvement extends well beyond influence operations. Rather, RT plays a crucial role in Russia’s war machine and its attempts to weaken its democratic enemies, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Like its long-running misinformation and disinformation campaigns, RT wants its new covert intelligence capabilities to stay undetected, Blinken told reporters. “The truth is the strongest defense against Russia’s falsehoods.

Officials added that RT has also developed websites that mimic authentic news sources in order to disseminate propaganda and false information throughout Europe, Africa, South America, and other regions. The outlet, they claim, has increased the scope of its cyber operations by forming a new team last year that has connections to Russian intelligence.

The Russian social media platforms hosted the crowdsourcing campaign, which aimed to generate money for military equipment, some of which were purchased from China, according to officials. There were no overt links between RT and the fundraising effort, and there was no proof that Chinese authorities were aware that their goods were being supplied to Russia. Drones, radios, generators, and night-vision equipment were all on the list of supplies.

According to Jamie Rubin, the director of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, RT’s actions demonstrate that “it’s not just a firehouse of disinformation, but a fully fledged member of the intelligence apparatus and operation of the Russian government.” The sanctions, which were unveiled on Friday, are aimed at RT’s parent company TV-Novosti, as well as Dmitry Kiselyov, the general director of Rossiya Segodnya, a linked state media agency. Sanctions were also imposed on a third group and its head, Nelli Parutenko, for allegedly operating a vote-buying operation in Moldova intended to support the candidates favored by Moscow in an impending election.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, asserted that since RT has already been sanctioned, more penalties are not required. She posted on her Telegram channel, “I think a new profession should appear in the United States — a specialist in sanctions already imposed against Russia.” In the months preceding the U.S. election, Russia’s worldwide propaganda effort is coming under closer examination. The Biden administration charged two RT workers of paying a Tennessee company about $10 million for their content while seizing websites controlled by the Kremlin last week.

The business then compensated a number of well-known far-right influencers, many of whose posts repeated Russian talking points. According to two of the influencers, they were unaware that Russia was funding their activity. This summer, intelligence officials issued a warning, claiming that Russia was employing Americans who were not aware of its propaganda to disseminate it by hiding it on American-friendly websites in English. According to officials, Russia aims to sow discord among Americans prior to the election in order to diminish backing for Ukraine. Additionally, it seems that Russia is using its influence to back former President Donald Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin while disparaging Ukraine and the NATO alliance.