US Mission In Russia Says Diplomats Removed From Restricted Area Were On Regular Travel

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2019) US diplomats are traveling across Russia, including Severodvinsk city, in order to better understand the country where they live as part of a normal diplomatic practice, the spokeswoman for the US embassy in Moscow, Rebecca Ross, told Ria Novosti, commenting on the recent incident with US diplomats entering restricted area without permission.

"Just as Russian diplomats in the United States travel to learn more about the country in which they live and work, our diplomats travel across Russia as part of normal diplomatic activity in order to better understand Russia," Ross said when asked to comment on the incident with three US diplomats, who had submitted documents for visiting Arkhangelsk, but arrived in Severodvinsk.

Reports in media suggested that three US diplomats were removed from a train traveling from Nenoks to Severodvinsk on October 14 as they were passing through an access-restricted territory without the required permission.

Meanwhile, Ross earlier said that the diplomats had been on official travel and properly filed the necessary notice with the Russian Defense Ministry.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that the diplomats had been on an official trip, but it did stress that the diplomats had notified the Russian Defense Ministry only of their plans to visit Arkhangelsk, not Severodvinsk.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov said on Thursday that Moscow would send a note of protest to the United States over the incident and continue the relevant investigation.

Due to the presence of strategically important military shipyards that have specialized in submarines since the Soviet times, the city of Severodvinsk in Russia's north is restricted to foreign citizens, who need a special permit to enter the area.