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| Russian trade mission in DC closed (WATCH LIVE) | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Russian trade mission in Washington has been closed and its staff barred access, Russia’s US embassy spokesman said, adding the US State Department is formally leading the searches in the building. | The Russian trade mission in Washington has been closed and its staff barred access, Russia’s US embassy spokesman said, adding the US State Department is formally leading the searches in the building. |
| Staff has been blocked from accessing the building of the trade mission in Washington starting from 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT), Russian embassy’s spokesman, Nikolay Lakhonin, told media. | |
| Lakhonin also said the searches at Russia's diplomatic facilities would start immediately after being closed to personnel. The operation would be carried out under the auspices of the US State Department, he added. | |
| The head of the Russian trade mission in the US, Aleksandr Stadnik, told journalists that he considers the searches at the two compounds as a takeover in violation of international law. He confirmed that the US authorities lifted diplomatic immunity from the trade mission compound in Washington, DC, as at 14:00 (local time) (18:00 GMT). | |
| The Trump administration ordered the closure of Russia’s consulate in San Francisco as well as the two annexes in Washington and New York on August 31. | |
| On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the FBI was planning to search the general consulate premises, including homes of diplomatic staff, which would violate diplomatic immunity. | |
| On Saturday, Russia summoned the deputy chief of mission of the US Embassy in Moscow to lodge a note of protest over US plans to search the Russian trade mission in Washington. | |
| Moscow said it considers the inspections “an aggressive action,” which could also be used by US intelligence to “orchestrate an anti-Russian provocation by planting compromising items.” | |
| READ MORE: Moscow hands in note of protest to US over plan to search trade mission in Washington | READ MORE: Moscow hands in note of protest to US over plan to search trade mission in Washington |