Russia on Tuesday declared a CIA agent detained while attempting to recruit a Russian intelligence officer "persona non grata" and ordered him to leave the country immediately.
"Overnight to May 14 the Federal Security Service's counterintelligence service detained a career officer of the Central Intelligence Agency Ryan Christopher Fogle, who worked under disguise of third secretary in the political department of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, in the attempt to recruit an officer of one of Russian security services," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Special technical devices, written instructions for the Russian citizen being recruited, a large sum of money in cash and appearance disguising means were discovered during the detention.
The CIA agent allegedly has offered up to 1 million U.S. dollars to the Russian intelligence officer, local media reports said.
President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama have pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including that between security services when fight against international terrorism.
"Such provocative actions of the Cold War type in no way promote strengthening mutual trust," the statement said.
The Foreign Ministry has summoned U.S. Ambassador Michael Mcfaul for an explanation over the case.
