UPDATE - US sanctions Russia for alleged interference, hacking

ADDS BIDEN'S LETTER TO CONGRESS

By Beyza Binnur Donmez, Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - US President Joe Biden announced on Thursday new sanctions on the Russian government, including the expulsion of 10 diplomats for alleged presidential election interference and hacking.

The executive order aims to deter "the full scope of Russia's harmful foreign activities," the White House said in a statement.

With the new order, the Treasury Department prohibits American financial institutions from participating in the primary market for ruble or non-ruble denominated bonds issued after June 14 by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, as well as lending ruble or non-ruble denominated funds to them.

It also designated six Russian technology companies for allegedly providing "support to the Russian Intelligence Services' cyber program, ranging from providing expertise to developing tools and infrastructure to facilitating malicious cyber activities."

"These companies are being designated for operating in the technology sector of the Russian Federation economy," the statement read.

Those expelled from the Russian diplomatic mission in Washington, DC include representatives of Russian intelligence services, it added, without disclosing their identities.

Biden sent a letter to Congress, informing lawmakers about his executive order that declared a national emergency.

"I have determined that specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation ... constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," he wrote.

He listed the activities as efforts to undermine free and fair democratic elections in the US, malicious cyber-enabled activities against the US, corruption to influence foreign governments, targeting dissidents or journalists, undermining security in countries important to US national security, and a violation of international law such as territorial integrity of states.