U.S. scales back Russian visa operations after Putin cuts embassy staff

By Andrew Osborn and Polina DevittMOSCOW (Reuters) - The United States began to sharply scale back its visa services in Russia on Monday, drawing an angry reaction from Moscow, three weeks after President Vladimir Putin ordered Washington to more than halve its embassy and consular staff.The move, which will hit business travelers, tourists and students, was the latest in a series of bilateral measures that have driven relations to a new post-Cold War low, thwarting hopes on both sides that they