The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning five entities and 19 individuals in Russia over meddling during the 2016 U.S. election — as well as for destructive cyberattacks, including the NotPetya malware attack.

Why it matters: This is the strongest action yet from the administration in response to Russian election meddling, which President Trump has repeatedly downplayed or expressed doubts about. Brian O’Toole, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and former senior official at OFAC, tells Axios that while the sanctions “highlight behavior” by the Russians, “from a legal perspective it doesn’t change much.”

The entities sanctioned include Russia's top intelligence services — the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) — as well as the Internet Research Agency (IRA), which was indicted by the Mueller probe earlier this year. The FSB and GRU were previously targeted by the Obama administration.

“This is a very competent, technocratic action , but it feels like this situation called for something more than that,” O'Toole said. “I do think they missed an opportunity for a real pushback,” he added, suggesting a joint response with the U.K. over NotPetya or sanctions like those placed on members of Putin's inner circle under Obama as steps that would have had more bite.

, but it feels like this situation called for something more than that,” O'Toole said. “I do think they missed an opportunity for a real pushback,” he added, suggesting a joint response with the U.K. over NotPetya or sanctions like those placed on members of Putin's inner circle under Obama as steps that would have had more bite. As to the practical implications of sanctioning the Russian security services, O’Toole offered an example: “Good luck getting your Adobe Acrobat update.”

One big thing: The administration is also accusing Russia of an ongoing and deliberate attack on the U.S. energy sector.

The sanctions come in light of this targeting, as well as targeting of "nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors,” per the Treasury Department.

The details ...