Moscow Cuts Back Number of Personnel in US Diplomatic, Consular Missions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The total number of personnel in US diplomatic and consular missions will be downsized to 455 people, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"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 Russian ministry said in a statement on Friday.
"This means that the total number of the staff engaged in US diplomatic and consular establishments will be reduced to 455 people," it added, , the TASS news agency reported.
Moscow has also suspended from August 1 use by the US embassy in Russia of the warehouses in Dorozhnaya Street and the property in Serebryany Bor, the Russian foreign ministry said.
It said that Moscow reserves the right for additional restrictive measures, which could have an impact on Washington’s interests, as part of reciprocal steps to US recent policies.
"As part of our reciprocal steps we reserve the right for other measures, which could have an impact on the interests of the United States."
In late December 2016, the US Administration, at that time led by Barack Obama, introduced sanctions against Russia and closed two Russian diplomatic properties in the states of New York and Maryland. Access to the properties was closed for the Russian personnel.
On July 27, the US Congress adopted a new bill on tougher sanctions against Russia.
