U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Friday that nations should regard the operations of the Russian state broadcaster RT as akin to covert intelligence activities, as he announced new sanctions targeting alleged Russian influence campaigns abroad.

Last week, the United States charged two RT employees with money laundering and imposed sanctions on Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, citing a scheme to engage an American firm for producing online content aimed at influencing the 2024 U.S. elections. Blinken informed reporters at the State Department that Russian media organizations are effectively operating as an extension of Russia’s intelligence services.

He noted that RT has evolved from a traditional media outlet to one that possesses cyber capabilities and engages in covert information and influence operations internationally, referencing new intelligence, much of which he claimed was provided by RT personnel. “Today, we are announcing that these Kremlin-affiliated media organizations are not only engaged in covert influence activities to undermine democracy in the United States but are also interfering in the sovereign matters of nations worldwide,” Blinken remarked.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has severely strained U.S.-Russian relations since President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion in 2022, prompting the Biden administration to supply arms to Kyiv and lead a comprehensive international sanctions initiative against Moscow.

RT has ridiculed U.S. actions, with Simonyan asserting that Washington is attempting to obstruct the broadcaster’s operations as a journalistic entity and pledging to circumvent sanctions to continue its work. The Russian embassy in Washington has not yet responded to a request for comment.

The United States, along with Britain and Canada, plans to collaborate on a diplomatic initiative to inform other nations about Russian efforts, including the sharing of evidence. “Each government will ultimately determine its response to this threat, but we encourage every ally and partner to begin by treating RT’s activities as they would other intelligence operations conducted by Russia.”