Russia closes US consulate in country

Measure is a retaliation to the US decision to expel Russian officials in reaction to the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal

access_time29 Mar 2018, 19h11 - Posted on Mar 29, 2019

The Rus

sia expelled sixty US diplomats and closed the consulate of the United States in the country. The measure is a retaliation to the decision of the United States and sixteen other countries to expel Russian officials in reaction to the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal .

The main suspect is that Russia is responsible for the attack on Skripal and his daughter, 33, earlier this month in England. The  government of Vladimir Putin, however, denies involvement.

Skripal is a former colonel of Russia's intelligence service and was arrested in Moscow in 2004 after betraying Russian agents to British intelligence. In 2010, he received a refuge in the UK.