Russian Diplomats Must Leave San Francisco Apartments by October 1 - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Russian diplomats are ordered to vacate their apartments in San Francisco, California before midnight on October 1, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a notice released by the Federal Register on Thursday.

"Such prohibitions will take effect as of 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on October 1, 2017," the document stated. "[A]ll persons on said property are required to depart the premises no later than the date and time stated above."

On September 2, the United States shut down Russia's Consulate General in San Francisco and trade missions in New York City and in Washington, DC. US officials said the move came in response to Moscow's decision in late July to reduce the number of US diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 people, the same number of diplomatic personnel Russia has in the United States.

After Russian diplomats left the diplomatic compounds, US security agents conducted searches inside the buildings. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the United States' actions constituted a violation of international law, including the Vienna convention on diplomatic and consular relations.