Expelled American diplomats depart from US embassy in Moscow

Moscow, April 5: As many as 60 American diplomats, who were expelled from Russia departed from Washington's embassy in Moscow on Wednesday. Notably, in a major retaliation to the expulsion of Russian diplomats, Moscow announced to expel 150 western diplomats including 60 Americans and close the US consulate in St Petersburg on last Thursday.

 

Three buses carrying the expelled American diplomats and their families have left the US Embassy in Moscow on the deadline day. Also, the US General Consulate in St. Petersburg was shut down on March 31. Russia announced the expulsion of US diplomats and the closure of the US Consulate in St. Petersburg in late March, as a ‘Tit For Tat’ response to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats initiated by the UK and US in alleged retaliation to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain.

Among the US diplomats being expelled, 58 are from the US Embassy in Moscow, and two officials from the General Consulate in Ekaterinburg. On March 26, over 125 Russian diplomats have been expelled from Western countries following allegation over the use of nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain. The US took this action in solidarity with Britain, as it has already expelled 23 Russian diplomats. The United States expelled 60 Russian diplomats, describing them as intelligence officers and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle.

This was the biggest Western expulsion of Russian diplomats since the height of Cold War. The countries include the United States and several European countries. However, Russia in reply warned the US for the step and said that there will be a response to everything and appropriate measures will be taken on each country.

Importantly, Moscow has denied being behind the attack on Sergei Skirpal and his daughter in Salisbury in Britain. 66-year old Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a public bench in a shopping center on 4th of this month and remain critically ill in hospital.