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Foreign Ministry spokeswoman points to information war against Russian diplomats in US

Maria Zakharova also wrote on Facebook that "the Russian Foreign Ministry will publish photos and videos concerning this celebration of democracy on its social media accounts"

MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. The spread of fake news about diplomats from the closed down Russian consulate in San Francisco applying for political asylum is another move in the information war, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Facebook.

"In order to distract people’s attention from the lawlessness carried out by US special services towards Russian diplomats and diplomatic property, fake news has been spread about diplomats from the San Francisco consulate applying for political asylum. That’s a classic move for those leading an information war," she said.

On August 31, Washington demanded that Moscow close down its Consulate General in San Francisco and the trade mission in Washington, as well as its New York branch, by September 2. On Saturday, Spokesman for the Russian embassy in the United States Nikolai Lakhonin said that searches had begun at the Russian trade mission building in Washington.

Zakharova also wrote on Facebook that "the Russian Foreign Ministry will publish photos and videos concerning this celebration of democracy on its social media accounts."

On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Anthony Godfrey, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Moscow, to hand him a note of protest over the US authorities’ plans to conduct searches at the trade mission building in Washington.

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