US embassy in Moscow changes its map address to Donetsk People's Republic Square

The mission's website now includes its geographical coordinates in Moscow after local authorities changed the address to Donetsk People's Republic Square. The US Embassy in Moscow removed the building's old street address, which was nullified by the city authorities, while also failing to indicate the new address, Donetsk People's Republic Square.

The embassy replaced the traditional address with the geographical coordinates: 55,75566 N, 37,58028 E.

The former address 8 Bolshoy Deviatinsky Pereulok can still be found in a tab listing all the US diplomatic missions in Russia, even though it was renamed by authorities in the Russian capital on June 22.

On the same day, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin released a statement announcing the change.

The US Embassy in Russia received a new official address. The diplomatic mission is located at : Building 1, Block 1 9, Donetsk People's Republic Square, Presnensky District, Moscow, Russian Federation, the mayor's office announced.

The new name of the square was put to a vote via the city's online portal, Active Citizen, according to the document. A total of 278,684 Moscow residents took part, the statement said. The option Donetsk People's Republic Square garnered the support of 45% of the respondents.

Both Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics declared their independence in 2014 after the Maidan coup in Kiev. After an eight-year conflict, the German and French-brokered Minsk agreements tried to resolve without success, the republics claimed in early 2022 that Ukraine was poised to retake them by force.

Days later, the leaders of the DPR and LPR asked Russia to recognize them. Both chambers of the Russian parliament adopted a bill calling for President Vladimir Putin to do so, and on February 21 the Russian head of state signed the recognition documents.

Over the last eight years, Moscow has accused Washington of destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. Since the beginning of its so-called special military operation, Russian authorities have warned the West not to pump up Ukraine with weapons, claiming it will only prolong the fighting.

Moscow is not the first city to name or rename a square or street outside a foreign power embassy in a symbolic manner.

In February 2018, Washington authorities named the square outside the Russian embassy after murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was gunned down on a bridge outside Kremlin on February 27, 2015.

Russian law enforcement apprehended the hitmen involved in the crime, who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. The people who ordered the killing of Nemtsov have not been identified to date.