Plane carrying 35 expelled Russian diplomats leaves US

35 diplomats expelled by the US over allegations of Russian interference in the presidential election left Washington DC and returned to Moscow at the beginning of the new year.

Russian planes arrive to pick up diplomats and their families. Photo: RTE

"The plane just took off, everyone is on board," RIA Novosti quoted the Russian embassy in Washington DC as saying. Relatives of diplomats were among the 96 passengers on the plane, which was specially dispatched from Russia. A US State Department spokesman also confirmed information about the January 1 flight. Sputnik reported on January 2 that the plane had landed in Moscow.

The deportations are part of a sanctions package approved by US President Barack Obama on December 29, 2016, in the final weeks of his term.

Diplomats considered by the US to be intelligence agents operating at the Russian embassy in Washington DC and the consulate in San Francisco have been given 72 hours to leave the US.

US intelligence believes the Kremlin ordered cyberattacks on the Democratic Party and emails of Hillary Clinton campaign staff and released the information to help Donald Trump win. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled out the possibility of expelling US diplomats in retaliation, a move seen as a sign that he expects Mr Trump to rebuild US-Russia relations after his inauguration on January 20.

Mr. Trump has cast doubt on the US intelligence report and said he knows “things others don’t know” about the situation. The US president-elect is seeking to strengthen relations with Mr. Putin./.

According to VNE