Russia’s Tass news agency quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that three employees of the US embassy in Moscow were suspected of stealing the personal belongings of a Russian citizen.
According to Tass, the ministry sent an official letter to the United States asking it to waive the diplomatic immunity of the three in order to bring charges against them and bring them to justice.
The Russian Foreign Ministry did not provide further details, adding that if the US embassy refused, the suspects should leave Russia immediately.
Earlier, in the wake of diplomatic tensions in Washington and Moscow, a number of US senators called for the expulsion of more Russian diplomats.
Democrat and Republican senators on Tuesday called on President Joe Biden to expel 300 Russian diplomats from the United States unless more visas are issued to Americans working in Washington.
“Those who propose such measures are apparently seeking to pressure the closure of US foreign institutions in Russia,” the Russian Foreign Ministry warned in a statement. “They have to understand that they are to blame for that.”
“Since Russia does not have such a large number of diplomats in Washington, the US Senate proposal is likely to include staff of the Russian diplomatic mission at UN headquarters,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Diplomatic tensions between Russia and the West escalated after the Czech Republic accused Russia of involvement in the bombing of two munitions depots in April.
The Czech Republic announced its decision to expel 18 Russian diplomats after accusing Russia of two bombings in the ammunition depot in the town of Verbatis in 2014 that left two dead.
Russia responded to the expulsion of 18 diplomats by expelling 20 diplomats from the Czech Republic, accusing the United States of being involved in accusing the Czech Republic of conducting anti-Russian activities.
In recent months, Western countries, including the United States, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, have provoked Washington to expel a number of Russian diplomats, which has been met with a reciprocal response from Moscow.
In retaliation, the Russian government ordered that the US embassy not have the right to employ Russian citizens and that it should reduce its consular staff by 75 percent and suspend many of its activities.
