Russia sends plane to US to transport diplomats due to restrictions

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Moscow said Tuesday that a special plane was sent to transport Russian diplomats who have to leave the US due to a three-year term limit for work that was imposed by Washington.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the TASS news agency the diplomats were not expelled but are leaving "because of the restrictions in the work created by Washington to Russian foreign institutions."

"It will take out Russian diplomats who were ordered by the US authorities to leave the country due to the completion of a three-year stay," she said.

A Russian IL-96 cargo plane of the special flight detachment "Rossiya" left Moscow for Washington earlier Tuesday, according to Flightradar24.