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Moscow Too Cold For Consular Services, But U.S. Embassy Presses On

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The Embassy of the United States in Moscow will restart normal operations tomorrow after temperatures in the city dropped too low for consular services.

Earlier today, the Embassy announced in a message online that it had been “obliged to cancel all appointments for routine American Citizen Services due [to] a flood in our building.” The flooding would also halt consular services for Russian citizens, another message stated.

The origin of the flood will be familiar to Moscow residents. Extreme freezing temperatures in the city had caused the Embassy’s pipes to burst, spilling water into places it wasn’t meant to be.

As a result, the Embassy would “only be able to provide services in genuine emergencies,” the official message read.

Thankfully, the story has a happy ending for American citizens and Russians seeking a U.S. visa – the U.S. Embassy has foiled Mother Nature’s plans. Its consular section and American Citizen Services will reopen for normal operations tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.

“I just got that notice from the consular chief here,” spokesperson Maria Olson told The Moscow Times.

At press time, Mother Nature could not be reached for comment.

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