The State Department says the U.S. has expelled two Russian officials in response to an attack on an American diplomat by a Russian policeman in Moscow last month.

Department spokesman John Kirby isn't immediately providing additional information about the U.S. move to kick out the Russians.

Kirby says the American was attacked on June 6 by a Russian guard outside the U.S. Embassy compound. Kirby says the attack was "unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee."

The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that American was a CIA agent and that he refused to provide his identification documents.

Moscow says the policeman was fulfilling his duties defending the embassy.