The US has announced sanctions against Russia in response to what it says are cyber-attacks and other hostile acts.

The measures, which target dozens of Russian entities and officials, aim to deter “Russia’s harmful foreign activities”, the White House said.

The statement says Russian intelligence was behind last year’s massive “SolarWinds” hack, and accuses Moscow of interference in the 2020 election.

Russia denies all the allegations and says it will respond in kind.The sanctions announced on Thursday are detailed in an executive order signed by President Joe Biden. They come at a tense time for relations between the two countries

The latest sanctions target 32 entities and officials accused of trying to influence the 2020 US presidential election “and other acts of disinformation”.

Ten diplomats, including alleged spies, are being expelled from the US. The executive order also bars US financial institutions from purchasing rouble-denominated bonds from June.