INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A Russian plane landed at Washington's international airport Saturday to pick up about a dozen diplomats from Moscow's UN mission who
are accused by Washington of espionage, authorities said.The United States closed its airspace to all Russian aircraft after Moscow invaded
Ukraine.The Ilyushin Il-96 aircraft was allowed, however, to land at Dulles International Airport
The landing was confirmed by the FlightAware website, which tracks all air movement."The United States government approved a flight
chartered by the Russian government to facilitate the departure of Russian UN Mission personnel who were expelled for abuse of their
privileges of residence," a State Department spokesman told AFP."This special exception was done..
to ensure Russian mission personnel and their families departed by the date we had instructed," the spokesman added, speaking on
citing alleged espionage, the United States ordered the expulsion of a Russian national working for the UN secretariat."This is a hostile
move against our country," Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said in a Facebook message, adding that Moscow "totally
rejected" the United States claims.The Russian mission employs about 100 people, according to a Russian diplomatic source.
