US expels Russian diplomats over cyber attacks

The United States has expelled 35 Russian diplomats and has closed a Russian compound in New York and one in Maryland over Russia's alleged hacking of American diplomats and politicians, according to anonymous US officials reports Reuters.

The unnamed sources have reportedly told Reuters that the Russian diplomats would be given not more than 72 hours to leave the United States and that access to the two compounds will be denied to all Russian officials as of noon on Friday.

"These actions were taken to respond to Russian harassment of American diplomats and actions by the diplomats that we have assessed to be not consistent with diplomatic practice," the official told Reuters.

Earlier this week reports claimed that the US was preparing a new round of sanctions on Russia over its hacking of the Democratic Party in the run up to the US election.

A spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry said that Russia would retaliate against any sanctions.

"To be honest, we are tired of lie about the 'Russian hackers', which is being poured down in the United States from the very top," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.