Hundreds of Russian diplomats were expelled from countries in Europe and the US after the war began in 2022.
Five Western diplomats who have served in Russia since the launch of the full-scale invasion have described conditions of high uncertainty, constant surveillance, and intimidation.
Officials comparing their current assignments to the Cold War era note that the war has left them with a host of new priorities beyond supporting their own citizens and companies.
Russians who would ordinarily build relationships with diplomatic staff, including those working in academia and culture, are reportedly being intimidated into avoiding contact with Western officials.
Illustrating the atmosphere of pressure, one diplomat recalls discussing staffing shortages with a Russian official who advised him not to get too upset.
The same diplomat adds that even after leaving Russia himself, he continued looking over his shoulder for months.
After Russia's ban on hiring foreign nationals in 2021, the US embassy's facilities team was left significantly understaffed.
Another ex-ambassador says they were forced to dismiss two Russian employees after Moscow's domestic security service, the FSB, tried to recruit them, demanding that they report on everything going on at the diplomatic mission.