Sucking

In San Francisco, dense black smoke was seen, rising from the pipe of the building of the Russian Consulate General, CNN reports . The diplomatic mission, at the request of the American authorities, stopped working, the building will be mothballed.

Firefighters who arrived at the Consulate General building did not let them go inside and assured that everything was in order. “Do not worry. They don’t choose a new dad,” the Russian diplomat told CNN to the CNN correspondent.

In the courtyard of the Russian trade representative office in Washington, fire was also noticed, according to Foreign Policy. One could see how employees throw some papers into a bonfire diluted in the backyard.

“If there have ever been doubts that the consulate was engaged in espionage, black smoke dispelled them,” Jackie Speyer, a member of the House of Representatives from California, wrote on Twitter.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, called the "height of sadism" a challenge to the fire department. “The questions of American journalists fell about the fact that the smoke stream rises above the Russian General Consults. I answer: measures are taken to conservation of the building. In this regard, windows can close, sinks, turn off the lights, the water, the doors, the garbage, turn off, turn off heating instruments, turn on the life support systems and much more,” she wrote .

On Saturday, the US Embassy Advisor in Moscow Anthony Godfrey was called to the Foreign Ministry. He was awarded a note of protest in connection with the intention of the American authorities to arrange a search in the trade representative of the Russian Federation in Washington.

At 14:00 Washington time (21:00 Moscow time), access to the Borgship building in Washington was stopped. It has passed under the control of employees of the State Department. In the Russian Foreign Ministry, what was happening was called a "search." The press secretary of the Russian Embassy in the United States, Nikolai Lakhonin, said that the employees of the trade mission managed to take out "only the most necessary for further work and residence." He confirmed that diplomats from the United States are not sent, they will continue to work in the premises of the embassy.

On Friday, Zakharova said that a search would be carried out in the building of the Consulate General. "The American intelligence agencies intended on September 2 to search the Consulate General in San Francisco, including in the apartments of employees living in its building and having immunity, for which they also prescribed them and their families, including minor and even infants, leave the occupied premises for 10-12 hours. We are talking about the invasion of the consular institution and the dwellings of diplomatic workers, and they themselves They put it out so that they do not interfere with the FBI agents, ”the commentary published on the website of the Foreign Ministry said.

The State Department did not directly comment on the words of Zakharova. “Russia will no longer be allowed to use these objects for diplomatic, consular or residential purposes,” CNN quotes the words of the official representative of the diplomatic bucket. “Real estate objects will be closed, and entering or access to them will be provided only with the permission of the State Department. The State Department will ensure and support the mothballed objects in accordance with its duties.

On Thursday, the American authorities demanded from Russia until September 2 to close the Consulate General in San Francisco , as well as a trade mission in Washington and its branch in New York. It was noted that this is a response to the requirements of Russia on reducing staff of American diplomatic agents. “We believe that this action was unreasonable and is damaged by the common relations between our countries,” said the press secretary of the State Department of Hiser Neurt.

On Friday, the Consulate General in San Francisco stopped receiving visitors . Thus, three Russian consulates remained in the United States - in New York, Seattle and Houston. The same number of American diplomatic departments works in Russia - in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok. Negotiations on the opening of the fourth Consulate General in Russia were conducted, but in the end the United States abandoned these plans.

On July 28, Russia, in response to the law on the new US sanctions, suspended the use by the American Embassy of the cottage in the village of Serebryany Bor in the west of Moscow and warehouses on the road street. In addition, Moscow demanded that Washington reduce the number of diplomats and technical employees at the embassy, ​​as well as the Consulate General of up to 455 people - this is how many employees are now working in Russian diplomatic mission in the United States. According to Vladimir Putin, 755 employees of American representative offices will fall under the reduction.

On July 31, the State Department called inappropriately a reduction in the number of diplomatic mission employees. “These actions are not justified and regret,” the department said.

On August 21, the US Embassy in Moscow announced the suspension of the issuance of American non -immigrant visas in Russia. "In connection with the measures adopted by the Russian Federation to limit the number of employees of the US diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation, starting on August 23, 2017, the procedure for issuing non -immigrant visas throughout Russia will be suspended. The procedure for issuing non -immigration visas will be renewed, but in a significantly reduced volume," the embassy said.