This Thursday, Russia announced the expulsion of two American diplomats accused of collaborating with Robert Shonov, a former Russian employee of the US Consulate General in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, suspected of collaborating with a foreign state. Reuters.
The first secretary of the embassy, Jeffrey Sillin, and the second secretary, David Bernstein, must leave Russia within seven days, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, cited by the publication. Reuters.
“The indicated persons carried out illegal activities, maintaining contact with Russian citizen R. Shonov, accused of “confidential cooperation” with a foreign state,” said the Russian Foreign Minister.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also accuses Robert Shonov of being paid to perform tasks aimed at harming Russia’s national security. On Thursday, the ministry warned that any interference by the US embassy in internal affairs would be suppressed.
According to Russia’s Federal Security Service, cited by TASS, Shonov is accused of passing information to US embassy officials in Moscow on how a Russian recruitment campaign was influencing political discontent ahead of Russia’s 2024 presidential elections.
According to ReutersLast month, the United States accused Moscow of trying to intimidate and harass American officials after Russian state media reported that security services had tasked Robert Shonov with gathering information about the war in Ukraine and other issues to pass on to Washington.