RUSSIAN INSTITUTE HIT WITH SANCTIONS

WASHINGTON Washington imposed sanctions on Friday on a russian research institute tied to the development of a dangerous computer program capable of causing catastrophic industrial damage.

The u.s. Treasury department alleged that the russian government-backed central Scientific research Institute of chemistry and Mechanics — also known by its russian acronym, TSNIIKHM — was responsible for “building customized tools that enabled the attack” on an unidentified petrochemical facility in the Middle east in 2017.