US Senate considers sanctions against Russia for alleged cyberattacks on Ukraine: Report

In the midst of a long debate in the US Congress about the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act of 2022, the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee is considering imposing sanctions against Russia for alleged cyberattacks on Ukraine. The US Senate believes Russia is responsible for many cyberattacks against Ukraine, including the hacking of almost 70 Ukrainian official websites last month. "If there were sanctions in place prior to the invasion, they would have been linked to Russian cyberattacks inside Ukraine," Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated, as per Politico. 

Meanwhile, senators' perspectives differed, with some arguing that cyberattack sanctions should be included in the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act 2022, while others contend that additional sanctions should be imposed regardless of an invasion. The Ukraine Sovereignty Act 2022 entails sanctions against Russia in case of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The White House proposed the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act 2022 to Congress in mid-January, and it is presently being debated in the US Senate. 

US warns Russia against undertaking cyberattack in Ukraine

The bill authorises the United States to offer military support to Ukraine in the event of suspected Russian aggression, as well as deterrence actions against Russian politicians, financial institutions, and economic activity. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has stated that if Russia undertakes a large cyberattack in Ukraine, the US will retaliate with its own cyberattacks, but he has not officially committed to levying sanctions for cyberattacks. Sanctions could be harmful to Russia, as they threaten to damage the economy and isolate the country from international trade, Politico reported. 

US previously imposed sanctions against Russia for cyberattacks

The US has earlier sanctioned Russia for attacks on American targets, such as the massive SolarWinds espionage operation. It was discovered in late 2020 and involved Russian hackers infiltrating the computer systems of at least a dozen federal agencies and 100 commercial organisations. In recent years, the Department of Justice has also indicted a number of alleged Russian hackers. Under the scenarios the senators are considering, it's unclear how serious a cyberattack would have to be to warrant sanctions or counterstrikes. In 2015, Russian hackers shut down a portion of Ukraine's electrical grid, knocking out power to roughly a quarter of a million people, as per Politico. 

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