Russia Accuses The U.S. Of Harassing Its US-Based Diplomats After The U.S. Accused Russia Of Drugging Two Of Their Diplomats

Embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington, D.C.. Wikimedia

AFP: Moscow slams growing US 'pressure' on its diplomats

MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia's foreign ministry on Tuesday blasted what it termed "pressure" on its US-based diplomats by US intelligence, which it accused of increasingly numerous "recruitment attempts" on Moscow's diplomatic staff.

"The situation surrounding Russian diplomats in the United States is getting worse all the time," deputy foreign minister Sergei Riabkov said.

He said the number of attempts at recruiting diplomats had "significantly increased" over the past two-and-a-half years.

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The US embassy Moscow, where in June a Russian federal security service guard attacked a US diplomat, breaking his shoulder. Russia said the diplomat was an undercover CIA agent. Photograph: Handout

The Guardian: US protests over Russian 'harassment' as diplomats allegedly given date rape drug

* US says surveillance has ‘increased significantly’ in last two years
* State department: ‘We have raised our concerns at the highest levels’

The US state department has expressed concerns to the Russian government over the harassment of American officials amid reports that two diplomats were slipped date rape drugs in St Petersburg last year.

A man and a woman, both US officials with diplomatic passports, were drugged while they were attending a United Nations anti-corruption conference in November 2015, state news outlet RFE/RL reported, citing unnamed officials. The incident most likely occurred in their hotel bar, investigators concluded.

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WNU Editor: It's getting messy out there.