Russia’s Foreign Ministry has declared two U.S. diplomats “persona non grata” and is ordering them to leave the country within seven days for alleged involvement in “illegal activity.”
There was no immediate comment from the embassy or the U.S. State Department.
Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, the main domestic security agency, reported the arrest of Robert Shonov, a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok, last month. Shonov was accused of “gathering information about the special military operation, mobilization processes in Russian regions, problems and the assessment of their influence on protest activities of the population in the runup to the 2024 presidential election.
Shonov’s arrest was first reported in May, but Russian authorities provided no details at the time. The U.S. State DepartmentShonov was charged under a new article of Russian law that criminalizes “cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state, international or foreign organization to assist their activities clearly aimed against Russia’s security.” Kremlin critics have said the formulation is so broad it can be used to punish any Russian who had foreign connections.
In its latest statement, the State Department said the use of the “confidential cooperation” law against Shonov “highlights the increasingly repressive actions the Russian government is taking against its own citizens.” The State Department has said Shonov worked at the U.S. consulate in Vladivostok for more than 25 years. The consulateThe Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.
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