(Reuters] – Washington’s Russian embassy is currently “blockaded” with all its accounts shut down and its staff facing threats. State news agency RIA quoted ambassador Anatoly Anatolya Antonov saying this Sunday.

U.S. government agencies have effectively blocked access to the embassy. Bank of America closed accounts of the two consulates we have in Houston and New York.

He added that he received threats by both phone and letter. “At some point, even the exit from the Embassy was blocked.”

The United States and Russia had been at odds over how their diplomatic missions should be run long before Vladimir Putin’s “special military action” against Ukraine.

Russian diplomats have come under increasing pressure in Europe and over 300 Russian personnel have been expelled in the last few years. Moscow has responded by expulsion of foreign diplomats.

Last week, the Russian ambassador in Poland said to Reuters that his embassy had been blocked by its bank accounts. This could lead to it not functioning properly. Russia then would stop the Polish embassy from Moscow.

Russia’s actions in Ukraine have been the subject of severe sanctions from Western countries. Moscow has reacted by accusing them of extreme Russophobia.