The 35 suspected Russian spies expelled by Barack Obama arrived back in Moscow in the early hours of this morning with their families. Mr Obama last week expelled the diplomats over the hacking of US political groups during the 2016 presidential election.
The US government accused the diplomats of ‘acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status’ – a euphemism for spying – and gave them 72 hours to leave the country.
The special flight touched down in Moscow at 2.08am today after departing from Dulles International Airport in Virginia yesterday.
In freezing temperatures, the diplomats were ushered into waiting buses and driven away.
The curtains on the windows remained shut to avoid showing their faces as their identities have not been officially disclosed.
