© AP Photo/ Dmitry Lovetsky
The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced that Moscow cut back the number of personnel in US diplomatic and consular missions to 455 people from September 1 and suspended the 1 US embassy’s use of property in Moscow from August 1.
“We suggest the American side should equal the number of diplomatic and technical staff working in the US Embassy to Moscow and the consulates general in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok to the exact number of Russian diplomats and technical staff members working in the US before September 1,” the foreign ministry said in a statement at its website. “This means that the total number of the staff engaged in US diplomatic and consular establishments will be reduced to 455 people.”
Russia also suspended the use of all the warehouses and the property in Moscow by the US Embassy as of August 1.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov that Russia is not ruling out any steps in retaliation to US sanctions. Ryabkov added that Russia’s measures are not limited to the reduced number of US diplomatic staff and the seizure of US diplomatic property in Moscow.
