US expels two Russian embassy officials

The United States has expelled two Russian embassy officials after Russia earlier expelled two U.S. diplomats from the American embassy in Moscow,
the U.S. State Department said on Friday.
“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 State Department spokesman said.
“The Department will not tolerate the Russian government’s pattern of harassment of our diplomats,” the spokesman said, adding that “unacceptable actions against our Embassy personnel in Moscow will have consequences.”
Russia’s RIA news agency quoted an unnamed source in the Russian foreign ministry as confirming the expulsion, calling t groundless and saying Washington had used Moscow’s Sept. 14 expulsion of two U.S. diplomats “caught red-handed engaging in spying activities” as a pretext.