“Russia has deported Deputy Head of the US Mission Bartlett Gorman. Gormman was the second most important official in the US Embassy in Moscow after the envoy and an important member of the embassy’s top management, “said Jason Rebholt, a spokesman for the embassy.
He said Gorman had a valid Russian visa and had stayed in Russia for less than three years.
The expulsion of the Washington diplomat is considered an “escalating step” and the possibility of retaliation is being considered, Rebholz added.