U.S. sanctions Russians for 'malign campaigns' posing as news outlets

March 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Treasury Department Wednesday sanctioned two entities and two individuals for alleged foreign malign influence campaigns that included impersonating legitimate news outlets.

The campaigns include U.S. election interference, destabilization efforts in Ukraine and the operation of outlets by the Russian intelligence services posing as legitimate news sites, according to the Treasury Department.

Treasury said in a statement that Ilya Andreevich Gambashidze, founder of the Moscow-based Social Design Agency, and Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tupikin were "involved in a persistent foreign malign influence campaign at the direction of the Russian Presidential Administration."

Tupikin is CEO and owner of the Russia-based Group Structura LLC.

Both SDA and Structura were also sanctioned.

"We are committed to exposing Russia's extensive campaigns of government-directed deception, which are intended to mislead voters and undermine trust in democratic institutions in the United States and around the world," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson, in a statement.

The sanctioned companies and people allegedly provide their services to the Russian government using "a vast ecosystem of Russian proxy websites, personas, and organizations which give the false appearance of being independent news sources," according to the Treasury Department.

Treasury said Moscow uses an array of tools including intelligence services, proxies and influence tools in these allegedly anti-democratic efforts.

The Treasury Department said they are used against the United States, allies and partners around the world, including in Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.

In February President Joe Biden announced 500 sanctions against Russia for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The Treasury Department joined the State Department to impose those sanctions.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said as those sanctions were implemented that Congress needs to step up and join U.S. allies to give Ukraine the aid it needs to defend against Russian aggression.