“Tomorrow there will be official statements, countermeasures,” a tweet by the embassy attributed to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. | Getty Russia to close American school, warns of further actions, in wake of U.S. sanctions

Russian authorities on Thursday announced the closure of the Anglo-American School of Moscow, hours after the Kremlin vowed to retaliate against recent U.S. sanctions.

The nonprofit day school, which enrolls international students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, will be closed along with the U.S. Embassy vacation dacha in Serebryany Bor on the outskirts of Moscow, according to a CNN report.


The news came less than two hours after a spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin swore to take action after the Obama administration’s decision to impose sanctions on Russia over its repeated cyberattacks during the 2016 presidential race.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday that Obama’s actions constituted "aggressive foreign policy," while alluding to forthcoming blowback.

“Such steps of the U.S. administration that has three weeks left to work are aimed at two things: to further harm Russian-American ties, which are at a low point as it is, as well as, obviously, deal a blow on the foreign policy plans of the incoming administration of the president-elect,” he said.

In a series of tweets by the official Russian Embassy Twitter account, authorities said further retaliatory measures would be announced tomorrow.

“Tomorrow there will be official statements, countermeasures,” a tweet by the embassy attributed to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

In a post attributed to Peskov, the Putin spokesman called U.S. sanctions “groundless” and “illegal from international law point of view.”

“There is no doubt that Russia’s adequate and mirror response will make Washington officials feel very uncomfortable as well,” another tweet attributed to Peskov said.

President Barack Obama unveiled the latest round of sanctions Thursday. The punishments hit several Russian individuals and entities, including the country’s primary security service, known as the FSB, and its main intelligence directorate, the GRU. The measures will also expel 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the United States.

“These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior,” Obama said in a statement.

President-elect Donald Trump, meanwhile, continued to urge Americans to move past Russia’s actions in a statement Thursday, while also unveiling plans to meet with intelligence officials next week.

“It’s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things,” Trump said in a brief statement Thursday night. “Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.”