Russia’s Foreign Ministry has declared two U.S. diplomats as “persona non grata” and demanded their departure from the country within seven days, accusing them of engaging in “illegal activity.”
According to the ministry’s statement, Jeffrey Sillin, the first secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, and David Bernstein, the second secretary, were accused of maintaining contact with a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok who was arrested earlier in the year. This ex-employee was alleged to have collected information on Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and related matters for U.S. diplomats.
U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy was reportedly summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where she was informed of the expulsion of Sillin and Bernstein. The ministry emphasized that any illegal activities by the U.S. diplomatic mission, including interference in Russia’s internal affairs, would not be tolerated and would face strong opposition. Russia also called on Washington to take appropriate actions and avoid further confrontational steps.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from the U.S. Embassy or the U.S. State Department regarding the expulsions.
The arrest of Robert Shonov, the former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok, was reported by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) last month. Shonov was accused of gathering information related to Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, mobilization processes in Russian regions, and their impact on protest activities leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
The FSB claimed that two U.S. diplomats had instructed Shonov in collecting this information, identifying them as Sillin and Bernstein.
Shonov was charged under a new Russian law that criminalizes cooperation with foreign entities against Russia’s security interests, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to eight years. The U.S. State Department had previously condemned Shonov’s arrest, calling the allegations “wholly without merit.”
In its latest statement, the U.S. State Department expressed concern over the use of the “confidential cooperation” law against Shonov, citing it as part of a pattern of repressive actions taken by the Russian government against its citizens. Shonov had worked at the U.S. consulate in Vladivostok for over 25 years, and the consulate had remained closed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
