US cracks down on Russian spy agencies over election hacking

The US has slapped sanctions on Russian intelligence agencies and expelled 35 spies in retaliation for cyber attacks it said Moscow launched on the Democratic party and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

 

It was one of the largest actions of its kind by Washington since the cold war and underlined the determination of President Barack Obama to retaliate for the hacking before president-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.

 

Mr Trump has played down the hacking, refusing to blame Russia and saying “we ought to get on with our lives”.

 

Mr Obama said in a statement last night the retaliation was a “necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behaviour.” He said the hacking could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government.

 

The White House said it was imposing sanctions on the FSB and the GRU, Russia’s two main intelligence services, four individual GRU officers and three unidentified companies that provided “material support” to the hackers.

 

It ordered the closure of two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York it said were used for spying and declared persona non grata 35 Russian intelligence officers.

 

The Obama administration promised to release further evidence linking Russia to the attacks against the Democratic National Committee and a key Clinton adviser. It said the evidence would include information on the computers allegedly commandeered by Russian intelligence to carry out the attacks, data that identifies Russian malware and detail on how the attacks were conducted.

 

Mr Obama has stopped short of claiming the cyber attacks handed the presidency to Mr Trump but his administration has publicly accused Russia of meddling in the US electoral process – a line, they say, that the Kremlin should not be allowed to cross again.

 

“All Americans should be alarmed by Russia’s actions,” Mr Obama said. “In addition to holding Russia accountable for what it has done, the United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia’s efforts to undermine established international norms of behaviour and interfere with democratic governance. ”

 

Moscow had already threatened retaliation against any US moves aimed at punishing Russia for the cyber attacks. Speaking on Wednesday, before the US moves, the foreign ministry’s Maria Zakharova said: “People in the White House need to understand clearly that if Washington really takes new hostile steps, then it will receive a response.”

 

Mr Trump has boasted that he will get along with President Vladimir Putin better than Mr Obama, but he is likely to face resistance from high-ranking members of Congress. Republican senators such as John McCain and Lindsey Graham back sanctions.