Moscow: The U.S. won't visit space without us again

The tension between the US and Russia escalates, after the new sanctions imposed on Vladimir Putin's "inner circle" have been implemented, in response to Russian interferences in the Ukraine.

Following the US's decision to "punish" the partners of the Russian president through asset freezing and travel bans and to impose sanctions on 17 companies associated with Putin, Russia bares its teeth once more.

This time, however, the warnings reach as high as space...

According to statements by Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin, and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, the imposing of sanctions that could hurt the Russian space research sector leaves open the astronauts of the International Space Station, where three Russian and two Americans currently reside in.

"If they want to hit the Russian missile sector, they will automatically leave the ISS cosmonauts exposed", said Rogozin, according to Interfax news agency.

"Frankly, they are starting to get on our nerves with the penalties that they don't even realize can backfire", stated Rogozin in a strong tone.

At the same time, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stressed that sanctions can affect launches of space rockets, accusing the US that they are leading to a revival of the "Iron Curtain" towards Russia.

"This hurts companies and industries in the high-tech field. It's the return of the system imposed in 1949, when western countries lowered the "Iron Curtain", cutting the transport of high-tech goods to the Soviet Union and other countries", added the Deputy Minister.