A plane carrying 35 Russian diplomats, expelled from the United States over Moscow's alleged interference in the presidential election, took off from Washington on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported.
"The plane has taken off, everyone is on board," said the Russian embassy in Washington, quoted by the state-owned Ria Novosti agency. Relatives of the diplomats are also onboard, making 96 in all.
The expulsions were part of a package of sanctions ordered by President Barack Obama on Thursday in the final weeks of his administration.
US intelligence says the Kremlin ordered a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign staff emails in a bid to put Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
-APPÂ
