Official announcements from the U.S. State Department or other relevant U.S. government bodies

Blinken Accuses Russia's RT of Covert Operations and Cyber Activities; State Department Announces Sanctions

Sep 13, 2024, 08:35 PM

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Russia's state media outlet, RT, of engaging in covert operations to interfere in the affairs of other countries and military procurement. Blinken revealed that RT possesses cyber capabilities and collaborates with Russian intelligence services. He cited new information, much of which originates from RT employees, indicating that a cyber unit was embedded within RT in the spring of 2023. This unit is responsible for global influence operations and has been involved in raising funds to buy weapons for Russian forces waging war against Ukraine. Blinken stated that RT leadership had direct knowledge of these activities. The Biden administration has unveiled new evidence of RT’s key role in Russian intelligence operations globally and announced new sanctions on Russian state media, including RT’s parent company, TV-Novosti, and a related group, Rossiya Segodnya. The State Department has labeled RT as a covert influence arm of the Russian government.