Vladimir Putin's party took part in US-funded activities, says state department as row deepens over expulsion of USAid

The US has hit back at the Kremlin following the closure of its aid agency in Moscow for attempting to influence the country's politics, by pointing out that the ruling United Russia party participated in US-funded activities.

The Russian government has given the local division of the US Agency for International Development (USAid) until 1 October to shut up shop because of what it called its "attempts to exert influence, via the distribution of grants" upon elections and civil society institutions.

United Russia, which won a majority in parliamentary elections last year marred by widespread allegations of fraud, had taken part in programmes offered through the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, said state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

There are at least eight cases over the last six years of high-level figures from United Russia attending conferences and training sessions funded by US institutions, the opposition leader and former deputy prime minister, Boris Nemtsov, wrote in his blog on Friday.

"For years the Party of Crooks and Thieves has with pleasure partnered with the Americans," Nemtsov wrote, using the popular nickname for United Russia employed by opposition activists who have taken to the streets in mass anti-Putin protests over the last nine months.

President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly attacked groups that receive foreign funding and accused protesters of following orders issued by the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.

United Russia countered that the accusation was petty. "The announcement looks like an unfounded and emotional reaction," said senior party member Aleksei Chesnakov, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

The closure of USAid, which spent £33.3m in Russia in 2011, will hit groups helping disabled people and working to control the spread of Aids as well as civil society organisations promoting democracy and human rights.

• The first Russian motherboard based on ARM-processor Baikal-M