Diplomatic tit-for-tat: US expels Russian embassy officials after similar move by Moscow

In a diplomatic tit-for-tat move, the United States announced on Friday (Oct 6), that it had expelled two Russian embassy officials from the country. This move came in direct response to Russia's prior expulsion of two US diplomats from the American embassy in Moscow. The decision to expel Russian embassy officials is part of a broader pattern of diplomatic tension and strained relations between the two countries against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war.

"In response to the Russian Federation's specious expulsion of two U.S. Embassy Moscow diplomats, the State Department reciprocated by declaring persona non grata two Russian Embassy officials operating in the United States," a US State Department spokesman said.

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"The Department will not tolerate the Russian government's pattern of harassment of our diplomats," the spokesman said and added that "unacceptable actions against our Embassy personnel in Moscow will have consequences."

According to an anonymous source within the Russian foreign ministry cited by Russia's RIA news agency, the expulsion was termed unjustified. The source asserted that Washington had leveraged Moscow's prior expulsion of two US diplomats, who were allegedly "caught red-handed engaging in spying activities", as a pretext for their own retaliatory action.

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"We are not interested in escalation, but if such hostile actions continue, as always, we will respond firmly and decisively," RIA said while quoting the source.

The Russian government on Thursday (September 14) said it was expelling two US diplomats on accusations of collaborating with a spy. According to the Kremlin, the two diplomats had maintained contact with a Russian national who worked for the US Mission and had been accused of being an 'informant'. 

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The Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement informed it had summoned US envoy Lynne Tracy, instructing her that embassy First Secretary Jeffrey Sillin and Second Secretary David Bernstein must leave the country within seven days.

Sillin and Bernstein were accused of having conducted "illegal activities by liaising with a Russian citizen, (Robert) Shonov". "It was also emphasised (to Tracy) that illegal activities of the US diplomatic mission, including interference in the internal affairs of the host country, are unacceptable and will be resolutely suppressed," it said.