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Second plane with Russian diplomats expelled from US arrives in Moscow

The Il-96 plane brought home 14 staff members of Russia’s Consulate General in New York and its Permanent Mission at the UN together with their families

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. The second plane carrying Russian diplomats expelled by the United States over the so-called Skripal case has landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 airport, a TASS correspondent reports from the scene.

The Il-96 plane brought home 14 staff members of Russia’s Consulate General in New York and its Permanent Mission at the UN together with their families.

At about 10:40 Moscow time, the first plane with Russian diplomats expelled from the United States landed at the Vnukovo-2 airport. The plane brought home 46 staff members of Russia’s embassy in Washington and their families.

Expulsion of diplomats

In a show of solidarity with London’s stance over the reported poisoning of former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, the United States declared 60 Russian diplomats personae non gratae on March 26. Among them are 46 diplomats from the embassy in Washington, two from the consulate general in New York and 12 more from Russia’s mission to the United Nations.

On Thursday, US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman was summoned to Russia’s Foreign Ministry to be notified that Russia declared 58 diplomats of the US Embassy in Moscow and two staff members of the Consulate General in Yekaterinburg personae non gratae, they were ordered to leave the country by April 5. Besides, Russia revoked the consent to the operation of the US consulate-general in St. Petersburg.

Military operation in Ukraine

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Preliminary data shows anti-ship missile downed over Sevastopol waters — official

Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said that all emergencies services currently work in the high alert mode

Putin confirms Russia’s readiness to assist CAR with security challenges

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Moscow hopes West will thoroughly analyze Russia's nuclear doctrine — ambassador

Andrey Kelin also recalled that the policy of the Russian leadership enjoys the full support and confidence of the country's population

Russia hit Ukrainian military-industrial facility in response to use of Western missiles

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Russian army pushes Ukraine out of Kurakhovo water reservoir’s north shore

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Russia’s reaction to Austrian OMV’s failure to pay for gas justified — MFA

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Putin orders protection of critical infrastructure, including Crimean Bridge — Kremlin

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Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

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US makes mistake by destroying INF Treaty — Putin

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US decision on strikes inside Russia stems from malice rather than strategy — journalist

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Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed that the US administration had lifted restrictions for US-supplied missiles to be used for strikes up to 300 kilometers inside Russia

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US admiral says Washington should be ready for talks with Russia, China

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US Senate refuses to block arms supplies to Israel

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No Western sanctions to limit Russia’s foreign trade — minister

All restrictions that Western countries impose affect themselves in the first place, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov added

Russian forces push Ukrainian troops 10 km away from Lisichansk in LPR — expert

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