The Russian foreign ministry has called for the expulsion of 35 United States diplomats in response to a similar move by Washington.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the request had been made to President Vladimir Putin.
The Barack Obama administration expelled 35 Russian diplomats and their families over alleged Russian hacking during the U.S election campaign, the BBC reports.
Russia denied any involvement and called the U.S action “ungrounded.”
Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, accused the outgoing Obama administration of ending in “anti-Russian death throes.”
Mr. Obama, who will be replaced by Donald Trump on January 20, had vowed action against Russia amid U.S accusations that it directed cyber-attacks on the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton’s campaign.