"[Russian national Evgeny Buryakov], as well as two former employees of Russian diplomatic bodies in New York, is accused of gathering 'intelligence', but no evidence to support these accusations has been provided," Lukashevich said.
According to the spokesman, it appears that US authorities have used the favored tactic of creating spy scandals, although Russia-US relations are already experiencing tensions.
On Monday, New York federal prosecutors charged Russian nationals Evgeny Buryakov, Igor Sporyshev and Victor Podobny with gathering data in the United States for Russia's foreign intelligence, with the accused potentially facing up to 10 years in prison.
On Tuesday, Russia's Vnesheconombank (VEB) confirmed that Buryakov served as a deputy representative of the bank in New York City. According to the US Department of Justice, Sporyshev said he was a Russian trade representative, while Podobny said he served as an attache to Moscow's mission to the United Nations.
