RT Accused of Raising Money for Moscow’s Troops through Disinformation Campaigns

  • US imposes sanctions on Russian state media RT for raising funds for Moscow’s troops in Ukraine
  • RT accused of working closely with Russian military and running fundraising campaigns for military supplies
  • Sanctions target TV-Novosti, Rossiya Segodnya, and their leaders
  • Russia denies allegations, calls them ‘nonsense’
  • US officials say RT is a key part of Russia’s war machine and intelligence apparatus

The US State Department has imposed new sanctions on Russian state media outlet RT, accusing it of working hand-in-hand with the Russian military and running fundraising campaigns to finance equipment for soldiers fighting in Ukraine. The outlet has previously been sanctioned for spreading Kremlin propaganda and disinformation but is now alleged to play a more significant role in Russia’s war efforts. RT has also created websites posing as legitimate news sites to spread disinformation across Europe, Africa, South America, and other regions. The Biden administration seized Kremlin-run websites last week and charged two RT employees with covertly paying a Tennessee company nearly $10 million for content that was then used by far-right influencers. Russia is accused of using unwitting Americans to spread propaganda in English on popular sites, aiming to divide public opinion ahead of the US election.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate information about the U.S. State Department’s announcement of new sanctions on Russian state media, including details about RT’s alleged involvement in fundraising campaigns for military supplies and its role in Russia’s influence operations. It also includes quotes from relevant officials and responses from Russian representatives. The article is mostly focused on the main topic without digressions or personal opinions.
Noise Level: 6
Noise Justification: The article provides some relevant information about new sanctions on RT and its alleged involvement in fundraising campaigns for the Russian military, but also includes unrelated details about Russia’s propaganda efforts and influence operations in the US election. The focus on Trump and NATO alliance seems to be a distraction from the main topic.
Private Companies: RT,TV-Novosti,Rossiya Segodnya
Key People: Antony Blinken (Secretary of State), Jamie Rubin (Head of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center), Dmitry Peskov (President Putin’s spokesperson), Maria Zakharova (Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman), Nelli Parutenko (Leader of a sanctioned organization)

Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: The sanctions on RT, TV-Novosti, Rossiya Segodnya, and their leaders may impact the financial operations of these organizations and their ability to operate in global markets. The allegations of fundraising campaigns for military supplies could also have implications for Russian companies supplying such equipment.
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses sanctions imposed on Russian state media entities by the U.S. State Department, which can affect their financial operations and potentially impact companies involved in providing military supplies to Russia.
Presence Of Extreme Event: Yes
Nature Of Extreme Event: Political Crisis
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: Moderate
Extreme Rating Justification: The article discusses the new sanctions imposed on Russian state media RT and its alleged role in funding military supplies for soldiers fighting in Ukraine, as well as the ongoing political tensions between Russia and the US. While there is no mention of an extreme event happening in the last 48 hours, the situation is considered moderate due to the potential impact on international relations and the ongoing political crisis.
Move Size: No market move size mentioned.
Sector: All
Direction: Down
Magnitude: Large
Affected Instruments: Stocks

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com