US embassy in Moscow

Victoria Nuland, the third-highest ranking US diplomat and frequent target of criticism for her hawkish views on Russia and its actions in Ukraine, will retire and leave her post this month, the State Department said Tuesday.

Russia has expelled US Deputy Ambassador Bart Gorman, Russia Today reports. According to media sources, Washington is planning retaliation after Moscow expelled a senior US diplomat. According to TASS, citing a source from the US embassy in the Russian capital, Gorman was urged to leave the country immediately. It is unclear what motives Moscow has given for the expulsion.

The US embassy in Moscow will reduce consular services starting on May 12, according to a message published on the embassy's website on Friday.

Russia has arrested an American citizen on suspicion of spying in Moscow, its domestic security service (FSB) has said, quoted by Aljazeera. 

The FSB, which took the American into custody on December 28, said in a statement on Monday that a criminal case has been opened against the suspect.

American diplomats declared personae non gratae have to leave Russia by April 5, according to a step Moscow made in response to the greatest ever expulsion of Russian diplomats from the US over Skripal's poisoning, groundlessly blamed on Russia.

The US embassy in Moscow on Monday blamed the planned changes on the Russian government's move to force US diplomatic missions in the country to cut staff by almost two-thirds, reported The Financial Times.

Russia said Wednesday it had approved the candidacy of the former US ambassador to Kiev as Washington's new envoy to Moscow, at a time of sharply heightened tensions over Ukraine.