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Joe Biden issues new Russia sanctions and expels 10 diplomats for election interference and hacking

The White House says the expelled 10 include members of Russian intelligence services. The Kremlin warns it will retaliate.

Russian Embassy is seen in Washington, U.S., July 16, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Image: Ten diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Washington DC have been expelled
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US President Joe Biden has announced new sanctions on the Russian government and the expulsion of 10 diplomats in retaliation for hacking and election interference.

Mr Biden said Russia's efforts to undermine free elections in the US were an "unusual and extraordinary" threat to security.

The actions represent the first retaliatory measures announced against the Kremlin over allegations of both interference in last year's presidential election and the hacking of federal agencies, familiarly known as the Solarwinds breach.

FILE - In this March 10, 2011, file photo, then-Vice President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia. Russia and the United States exchanged documents Tuesday Jan. 26, 2021, to extend the New START nuclear treaty, their last remaining arms control pact, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin readout of a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they voiced satisfaction with the move. (AP Photo/Alexander Zeml
Image: Presidents Biden and Putin met in March 2011 - but relations have now soured dramatically

In that intrusion, Russian cyber criminals are believed to have infected widely-used software with malicious code, enabling them to access the networks of at least nine agencies in what US officials believe was an intelligence-gathering operation aimed at mining government secrets.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Thursday the UK stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US in its action and was "calling out" Russia.

"We see what Russia is doing to undermine our democracies," he said.

"The UK and US are calling out Russia's malicious behaviour, to enable our international partners and businesses at home to better defend and prepare themselves against this kind of action."

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A statement from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre supported the US view and had assessed it was "highly likely the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service was responsible for gaining unauthorised access to Solarwinds' 'Orion' software and subsequent targeting".

Besides the Solarwinds hack, US officials last month alleged Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised influence operations to help Donald Trump in his unsuccessful bid for re-election as president, though there is no evidence Russia or anyone else changed votes or manipulated the outcome.

Analysis: Russia sanctions necessary but will hardly force Putin to change tack

The White House also said on Thursday that Mr Biden would be using diplomatic, military and intelligence channels to respond to reports that Russia encouraged the Taliban to attack US and allied troops in Afghanistan based on the "best assessments" of the intelligence community.

Reports of alleged "bounties" surfaced last year, with the Trump administration coming under fire for not raising the issue directly with Russia.

The measures announced on Thursday include sanctions on six Russian companies that support the country's cyber activities, in addition to sanctions on 32 individuals and entities accused of attempting to interfere in last year's presidential election, including by spreading disinformation.

The sanctions also target Moscow's ability to borrow money by prohibiting US financial institutions from buying Russian bonds directly from Russian institutions.

The 10 diplomats being expelled include representatives of Russian intelligence services, the White House said.

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The sanctions, presumably intended to send a clear message to Russia and to deter similar acts in the future, have exacerbated an already tense relationship between the two countries.

The Kremlin swiftly denounced the actions and warned of retaliation.

Just this week President Biden also told Mr Putin in their second call to "de-escalate tensions" following a Russian military build-up on Ukraine's border.

It was not immediately clear what, if any, other actions might be planned - officials had previously said they expected to take actions both seen and unseen.