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The Biden government plans to announce sanctions on Russian officials as early as Thursday, according to a number of people familiar with the matter.
A package of sanctions aimed at several Russian officials will be accompanied by orders that will expel some of them from the United States, one informant said.
The sanctions would be part of a series of U.S. government responses to a cyber-security breach, identified in December and believed to be orchestrated by Russia, affecting SolarWinds software and allowing hackers access to thousands of companies and government offices that used its products.
Nearly 30 institutions are expected to face sanctions for violating or interfering with the SolarWinds in U.S. elections, with about 10 Russian officials suspended.
“The hostility and unpredictability of America’s actions force us to be generally prepared for the worst-case scenarios,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters last week.
The White House, as well as the U.S. Department of State and Treasury, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.