US allegations over Putin-directed election meddling are 'baseless': Russia

Washington is expected to impose sanctions on Moscow as soon as next week because of the allegations, three sources said on Tuesday on condition of anonymity

Russia on Wednesday described U.S. intelligence allegations that President Vladimir Putin had likely directed efforts to try to swing the 2020 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump as baseless.

A 15-page American intelligence report, released on Tuesday, added heft to longstanding allegations that some of Trump's top lieutenants were playing into Moscow's hands by amplifying claims made against then-candidate Joe Biden by Russian-linked Ukrainian figures in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election.

"The document prepared by the U.S. intelligence community is another set of baseless accusations against our country for interfering in American domestic political processes," Russia's embassy in the United