US expels Russian diplomats, Russian diplomats Twitter troll US
Several Russian embassies use Twitter to sass countries that expelled its diplomats following the poisoning of a former spy in Britain.
Over the past 18 months Russia has become known for professional trolling -- using fake online identities to politically rile up citizens in the US, UK and more.
So it's not so surprising to see Russian officials respond to the US' Monday expulsion of 60 diplomats with some Twitter trolling.
US administration🇺🇸 ordered the closure of the Russian Consulate in Seattle @GK_Seattle🇷🇺. What US Consulate General would you close in @Russia, if it was up to you to decide
— Russia in USA 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbUSA) March 26, 2018
Referencing the US' closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, a tweet from the account of Russia's US embassy polls readers on which US consulate the Russian government should shut down. Consulates in Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg were listed.
The expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats was part of the US' response to Russia's alleged use of nerve agent to poison Sergei Skripal on March 4. Skripal, a former double agent, was a Russian spy who also worked for Britain's MI6 in the '90s. Over 20 diplomats were booted from Britain, and countries including Australia, Canada, Ukrain, Germany, Poland and France took similar action.
The Twitter account for Russia's UK embassy joined its US counterpart in taking an ostensibly lighthearted swipe.
Despite political tensions, Britons are welcome in Russia. Come and discover the difference between how 🇷🇺 is portrayed by the UK and how it is in reality.
— Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) March 27, 2018
Mind this gap! https://t.co/6jEiW4AFJL pic.twitter.com/sVRYreqwFq
Many official Russian accounts were also used to retweet a more serious tweet from the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It links to a 2004 Guardian story on nerve gas tests in Britain, implying hypocrisy on the part of the UK.
Russia's official embassy accounts are no strangers to diplomatic trolling, and even the use of memes. This was posted in February 2017, for instance, as claims of various Russian hackings mounted.
It's like epidemic, or fashion? in the West with everybody claiming being hacked by Russia. pic.twitter.com/95R0CW1FdL
— Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) February 12, 2017
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