On Thursday, the 14th of September, Russia announced the expulsion of two US diplomats, First Secretary Jeffrey Sillin and Second Secretary David Bernstein, accusing them of collaborating with Russian citizen Shonov, and ordered them to leave Russia within seven days, reports Reuters.
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned US envoy Lynne Tracy and informed her of its decision to expel the diplomats. In a report, the ministry accused both US diplomats of “illegal activities” in connection with their contact with Russian citizen Shonov, who was accused of “confidential cooperation” with a foreign state.
The US State Department called the expulsions unprovoked and unjustified. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said
Russia’s actions were confrontational and that the US would respond accordingly.
The situation escalated in August when the Russian FSB security service released a video showing Shonov’s alleged confession that Sillin and Bernstein were involved in gathering information on Russian activities in Ukraine, the annexation of “new territories”, military mobilisation and the 2024 presidential elections.
Due to the conflict in Ukraine, Moscow and Washington are currently experiencing their most strained relations in over six decades.
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