Then-President Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian intelligence officers and seized two Russian diplomatic compounds in the U.S. in retaliation for Kremlin meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. That staff reduction saw approximately 755 employees cut from the U.S. mission’s ranks, about 600 of them local hires in Russia. Lavrov said Russia was also considering placing some travel restrictions on U.S. diplomatic staff working in Russia. All U.S. diplomatic staff are allowed to travel freely within Russia, a privilege Lavrov said was now under consideration. Before last Saturday, Russia had four consulates in the U.S. — New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Houston — and one embassy in Washington.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 11, 2017 16:20 UTC