The US Treasury Department blacklisted 23 digital currency addresses, which it claimed were used to fund the operation of election interference. The department has also added four Russia-linked individuals to its sanctions list in connection with their alleged involvement in election interference. Through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the US Treasury has accused Moscow of using a variety of proxies to sow discord between the US political parties and influence voters.
Russia allegedly used the “troll factory” to influence global events.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) claimed that digital currencies have been central to the IRA’s operations, stating, “The IRA uses cryptocurrency to fund activities in furtherance of their ongoing malign influence operations around the world.” The OFAC listed 23 cryptocurrency addresses that it claims have been used by the Russian organization to fund its activities in the US Some of the other addresses have received larger amounts, with one transacting $595,000 worth of BTC while another has received $253,000 worth of ETH, reported Saumil Kohli.
Russian agents accused of interfering in the US elections.
The OFAC also added four Russia-linked individuals to its sanctions list, accusing them of being used by Moscow to influence US elections. Accused Andrii Derkach is a Ukrainian parliament member, but the OFAC claims he has been an active Russian agent for a decade now. Derkach has been heavily linked with the Trump campaign for the 2020 presidential election. According to the US. Treasury, “Andrii Derkach and other Russian agents, employ manipulation and deceit to attempt to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere worldwide.” Anton Andreyev, Artem Lifshits, and Darya Aslanova are the other three names in the sanctioned list.
The US Department of Justice accused a 27-year-old Russian national of being involved in a similar crime. According to the department, Artem Lifshits is the manager of Project Lakhta, a Russia-based effort to interfere with the US elections.
