Three US Embassy employees could be expelled from Russia after they were accused of theft

• Three US Embassy employees based in Russia might be expelled after they were accused of theft.
• Russia's foreign ministry alleged the employees stole "personal belongings from a Russian citizen," the Washington Post reported.
• Tensions are steadily rising between Russia and Western countries. Last week, NATO expelled eight Russian members.

Three U.S. Embassy employees based in Moscow, Russia could face expulsion from the country after they were accused of theft.

The Russian foreign ministry alleged on Friday that the employees stole "personal belongings from a Russian citizen," according to the Washington Post. The ministry demanded the staffers have their diplomatic immunity status revoked so that they can face prosecution in Russia or leave the country.

The ministry told TASS, a state-owned Russian news organization, that they had notified the US embassy of their request. The ministry did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

"A note was sent to the US embassy with a request to yank the diplomatic immunity from three employees of the American diplomatic mission over their designation as theft suspects of personal belongings from a Russian citizen," the ministry told TASS. "Should the embassy refuse to withdraw the immunity, the mentioned people must leave Russian territory immediately."

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The alleged theft occurred on September 18 and involved stolen items that the ministry valued at $200, the Post reported, citing TASS and Chtd, an independent news organization. The accused are reportedly three members of the U.S. Marine Corps between the ages of 21 and 26, according to Reuters, who cited the Russian news agency Interfax.

Tensions have been steadily rising between Russia and Western countries. Last week, NATO expelled eight "undeclared" Russian intelligence officers from Moscow's mission to the defensive alliance and halved the overall size of Russia's mission, Insider's John Haltiwanger reported.