US expels 35 Russian diplomats over cyber attacks

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 29: The Russian flag flies at half mast at the Consulate-General of Russia in San Francisco, California on December 29, 2016. The U.S. on Thursday applied wide-ranging penalties on Russia for its alleged role in hacking related to this year's presidential race. A set of sanctions target nine entities and individuals, including Russia's main intelligence directorate, the GRU, and its Federal Security Service, the FSB. State Department is expelling 35 Russian diplomats and shuttering two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York, which were being "used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes", Obama said. The actions were being taken in retaliation for "a pattern of harassment of our diplomats overseas that has increased over the last four years, including a significant increase in the last 12 months," State Department Mark Toner said. (Footage by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Gettyy Images)