Russia has expelled the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Moscow, Bartle B. Gorman. This act comes in response to the expulsion of his Russian counterpart in Washington.

Bartle B. Gorman also in charge of one of the State Department’s intelligence services, Bureau of Deplomatic Security.

His expulsion is also a way for the Russian authorities to highlight the role played by Secretary Antony Blinken and his deputy Victoria Nuland in the Ukrainian crisis in circumventing even the CIA.