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A notable increase in incidents of harassment of American diplomats stationed in Europe by Russian intelligence personnel appears to be part of what some officials describe as an escalating \u201cgray war\u201d between the US and Russia. For over a year now, American State Department personnel stationed in Europe have been complaining of a systematic campaign of \u201charassment and intimidation\u201d against them and their families by Russian intelligence operatives. The campaign is allegedly being waged in Moscow and other European capitals, and has prompted one US diplomat to say that he and his colleagues were \u201cfeeling embattled out there in the embassy\u201d. The Washington Post<\/em>, which published the story<\/a> on Monday, said that the diplomats\u2019 concerns about the Russian campaign of intimidation were raised again at a recent meeting in Washington of US ambassadors serving in Europe and Russia.<\/p>\n According to The Post<\/em>, some of the harassment can be characterized as routine, and involves Russian intelligence personnel conducting surveillance of American diplomats, taunting them at social events, or bribing local journalists to report negatively on their activities. But these pranks have allegedly become uglier and even criminal after 2014. The Post<\/em> said that it had read \u201ca series of secret memos\u201d sent to the State Department by US embassies and consulates in Russia and Europe, which suggest that the increasing harassment of American diplomats is connected to the sanctions imposed by the US on Russia after its military intervention in Ukraine. In some instances, Russian intelligence operatives broke into the homes of American diplomats at night and rearranged the furniture, or turned on all the lights and electronic equipment before leaving. In another case, a US diplomat\u2019s children were followed to school, while another\u2019s car tires were slashed repeatedly, said the paper.<\/p>\n The State Department\u2019s press secretary John Kirby told The Post<\/em> that incidents of overt harassment of US diplomatic personnel by Russian government employees had indeed increased. Norm Eisen, America\u2019s former ambassador to the Czech Republic, told the paper that the intimidation was part of \u201cthe gray war\u201d between Washington and Moscow, which has escalated following Russia\u2019s intervention in the Ukraine.<\/p>\n A statement from the Russian embassy in Washington denied that the Russian government was behind the alleged incidents. But it went on to state: \u201cIn diplomatic practice there is always the principle of reciprocity and, indeed, for the last couple of years our diplomatic staff in the United States has been facing certain problems\u201d. This statement can be seen to imply that Russia is responding to instances of intimidation of its diplomats by US authorities. The statement added: \u201cThe deterioration of U.S.-Russia relations [\u2026] was not caused by us, but rather by the current [US] administration\u2019s policy of sanctions and attempts to isolate Russia\u201d. The Post<\/em> said that US Secretary of State John Kerry raised the issued directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow in March, but that the harassment has continued. US President Barack Obama is apparently aware of the situation, but has ordered US intelligence agencies \u201cnot to respond with similar measures against Russian diplomats\u201d, said the paper.<\/p>\n