US bids 'do svidaniya' to Russian staff at Moscow embassy

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The United States said Friday it has laid off nearly 200 local staffers working for its diplomatic missions in Russia ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline set  pgdrake by the Kremlin for their dismissal. The move is just the latest in a series of measures taken by both sides that have strained U.S.-Russia relations.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the layoffs are regrettable and something the U.S. had hoped to avert, despite a sharp deterioration in ties between Moscow and Washington, which show few signs of improvement.

"These unfortunate measures will severely impact the U.S. mission to Russia's operations, potentially including the safety of our personnel as well as our ability to engage in diplomacy with the Russian government," Blinken said in a statement.

“Although we regret the actions of the Russian government forcing a reduction in our services and operations, the United States will follow through on our commitments while continuing to pursue a predictable and stable relationship with Russia,” he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry was silent on the matter and the Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a query.

Russia earlier this year announced a ban on almost all non-American staff at the embassy in Moscow and consulates in Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok. That came in response to U.S. expulsions of Russian diplomats and tit-for-tat closures of numerous diplomatic facilities in each country.