Moscow directs to reduce US diplomatic personnel in Russia

According to reports, the move was made by Russia in response to a sanctions bill the US Congress passed recently.

"As for other possible measures or is that too much or not, it is quite painful from the point of view of the operation the diplomatic mission. Since out of more than a thousand of the employees, diplomats and technical staff, who has been and are still working in Russia, 755 will have to finish their work in Russia," TASS quoted Putin as saying in an interview with VGTRK host Vladimir Solovyov.

The Russian Foreign Minister said number of staff should be reduced by Sept 1.

"Therefore, we suggest our American counterparts bringing the number of diplomatic and technical staff at the US Embassy in Moscow, the consulates general in St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok, into strict correspondence with the number of Russian diplomats and technical staff currently working in the United States, until September 1, 2017," read the statement.

It said: "This means that the total number of American diplomatic and consular office employees in the Russian Federation must be reduced to 455 people. In the event of further unilateral action on behalf of US officials to reduce the Russian diplomatic staff in the US, we will respond accordingly."

The Ministry said, "Starting August 1, the use of all the storage facilities on Dorozhnaya Street in Moscow and the country house in Serebryany Bor will be suspended from use by the US Embassy."