SEATTLE (Sputnik) — Russian diplomats have closed the residence of the Consul General in Seattle and left the city on Tuesday in compliance with orders given by the US government last month.
The Russian flag continued to fly on the residence as 11 vehicles with diplomatic personnel, including two trucks, departed the building at 1:35 p.m. EST and headed to Washington, DC.
READ MORE: All Diplomats of Russian Consulate in Seattle to Leave City Tuesday Morning
The Russian diplomats are bringing with them all documentation from the residence of the Consulate General to the US capital.
When the Russian Consulate General closed before the April 1 midnight deadline set by the US government, all material objects and documents were transferred to the residence of the Consul General.
From April 1 through Tuesday April 24, the residence served as headquarters for the diplomatic staff to prepare to evacuate and consolidate the building as well as to protect the interests of Russian citizens.
Watch the cars of the Russian diplomats waving Russian flags leaving Russian Consul building in #Seattle amid UK-Russia #SkripalCase row pic.twitter.com/g1oF9YtIQe
— Sputnik Insight (@Sputnik_Insight) 24 апреля 2018 г.
The diplomatic personnel took group pictures on the steps of the closed residence and said they all fell in love with the city of Seattle and its residents.
The diplomats waved Russian flags from the opened windows on their vehicles while the Russian march “Proschanie Slavyanki” was heard inside each vehicle.
