Russia's foreign intelligence service, the SVR, on Thursday dismissed U.S. claims that it was involved in cyber attacks on U.S. infrastructure as "nonsense" after Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow.
"We will only say that reading this nonsense is an occupation of little interest," the SVR said in a statement, referring to a U.S. executive order announcing the punitive measures.
The statement carried by Russian news agencies also called the U.S. executive order an example of "verbiage" and extolled the intelligence agency's "supreme professionalism" and its "ability to carry out its work honestly for the benefit of our country."
Earlier Thursday, the U.S. announced economic sanctions against Russia and the expulsion of 10 diplomats in retaliation for what Washington says is the Kremlin's U.S. election interference, the massive SolarWinds cyber attack and other hostile activity.
Moscow said that a Russian response to the new U.S. sanctions was "inevitable" and summoned U.S. ambassador John Sullivan.
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