Russia says sanctions on RT are part of pre-election ‘information campaign’ in US

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Russia said on Thursday that new US sanctions against its state-funded media outlet RT were part of an “information campaign” ahead of November’s presidential election, adding that it was working on a response.

On Wednesday, the United States charged two RT employees and sanctioned its top editors, accusing them of trying to influence the upcoming election.

Among the 10 individuals and two entities sanctioned by the US Treasury Department are RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan and her deputy Elizaveta Brodskaia.

“This is an obvious operation, an information campaign… which was prepared for a long time and is necessary before the final stage of the election cycle,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state news agency RIA Novosti.

He added that “of course, a response is being prepared,” warning that it will be tough and will “make the whole world shudder.”

Most American media outlets have reduced or withdrawn their staff in Russia after Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine, which was accompanied at home by a massive crackdown on dissent.

The US also charged two Russia-based RT employees, accusing them of funneling $10 million to a Tennessee-based company that used social media influence to “create and distribute content to US audiences containing hidden Russian government messages.”

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