Trump administration in its last few weeks has decided to close the two remaining US consulates in Russia which makes President-elect Joe Biden to take office amid high tensions with Moscow. The closures would leave the embassy in Moscow as the United States' last diplomatic mission in Russia. 

A news channel reported that the United States will close its consulate in the far eastern city of Vladivostok and suspend operations at its post in Yekaterinburg, citing a letter sent to Congress from the State Department on December 10. According to the news agency, the letter said, The move comes in "response to ongoing staffing challenges for the US Mission in Russia in the wake of the 2017 Russian-imposed personnel cap on the US Mission and the resultant impasse with Russia over diplomatic visas". 

Ten diplomats assigned to the consulates in Russia will reportedly be relocated to the US embassy in Moscow, while 33 local staff will lose their jobs. "No action related to the Russian consulates in the United States is planned," the report added. However, there is no clear information if the closures would happen before January 20, when President-elect Biden takes office. On Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Russia was "pretty clearly" behind a devastating cyberattack on several US government agencies that security experts say could allow attackers unfettered access to critical IT systems and electric power grids but Russia has denied any involvement in the cyberattacks.

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