The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on September 14 that the country had decided to expel two US diplomats on charges of collaborating with a Russian citizen accused of collaborating with foreigners.
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| US Embassy in Russia. (Source: ABC News) |
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it had summoned US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy and informed First Secretary Jeffrey Sillin and Second Secretary David Bernstein of the Embassy to leave Russia within the next seven days.
The statement stressed: “The named persons conducted illegal activities, maintained contacts with Russian citizen R. Shonov, who is accused of ‘secret cooperation’ with foreign countries.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry added that Shonov was paid to complete tasks aimed at harming Russia's national security and asserted that any interference by the US Embassy in Russia's internal affairs would be prevented.
Robert Shonov, a Russian national, was employed at the US Consulate General in the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok for more than 25 years, until Moscow banned the US diplomatic mission from hiring local staff in 2021.
In August, Shonov was charged by Russia's Federal Security Service with collecting information about Moscow's campaign in Ukraine for the US Embassy. Shonov was accused of "collecting data on Russia's special military operations, the process of mobilizing troops, related troubles and influencing public sentiment ahead of the 2024 Russian presidential election."
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