Russia introduced retaliatory sanctions against American diplomats in connection with the adoption by the US Congress of sanctions against the Russian Federation. This is stated in the official statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
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“In this regard, we offer the American side until September 1 of this year. Bring the number of diplomatic and technical personnel working at the US Embassy in Moscow, consulates general in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok into exact correspondence with the number of Russian diplomats and technical personnel located in the United States.
This means that the total number of personnel employed at U.S. diplomatic and consular posts in the Russian Federation is reduced to 455,” the statement said.
In the event of new unilateral actions by the American authorities to reduce the number of Russian diplomats in the United States, this will be followed by a mirror response, the Russian Foreign Ministry notes.
“The Russian side will suspend the use of all warehouse premises on Dorozhnaya Street in Moscow and dachas in Serebryany Bor by the US Embassy in Russia as of August 1,” the statement said.
At the end of December 2016, the United States closed access to two residential complexes - the so-called country “dachas” of the Russian Permanent Mission in New York and the Russian Embassy in Washington, which are Russian diplomatic property. In addition, 35 Russian diplomats were declared persona non grata.