Russia still runs versatile spying campaign against U.S. despite sanctions: top U.S. counter-intelli

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Russia still runs versatile spying campaign against U.S. despite sanctions: top U.S. counter-intelligence official.

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No let-up in spying amid tit-for-tat Russian sanctions: U.S official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia still runs a versatile spying campaign against the United States despite sanctions and daily publicity about Moscow's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the top U.S. counter-intelligence official said in an interview.

William Evanina, the National Counterintelligence Executive, described a wide array of challenges his agency faces: hacking of government and industry secrets; industrial espionage; government employees and contractors who share secrets with the news media and groups such as WikiLeaks and foreign acquisition of strategic U.S. industries.

Evanina spoke to Reuters on Friday, the same day that Russia retaliated in Cold War-era style to a new round of U.S. sanctions by ordering Washington to cut diplomatic staff and said it was seizing two U.S. diplomatic properties. Russian President Vladimir Putin said 755 people would have to leave their jobs, although many will be Russian nationals.

Congress voted overwhelmingly last week to further punish Russia over U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusions that Moscow had used cyber warfare and other methods to meddle in the election, something Putin has repeatedly denied. Last December, then-President Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats, sanctioned Russian intelligence agencies and personnel, and evicted Russian officials from two diplomatic compounds in the United States.

More: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-espionage-idUSKBN1AG2JF