Towering home to Russian diplomats in New York has long been an enigma

Mystery and intrigue have always surrounded the Russian Diplomatic Compound in New York. Tall steel fencing and cameras, too.

The 20-story white building is unmissable. It towers over the tree-lined Henry Hudson Parkway and is far taller than any nearby structure in the Bronx's Riverdale neighborhood. It is home to the families of diplomats serving in the Russian Mission to the United Nations — and maybe also a few spies.

On Monday, Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, interrupted a press conference to take a phone call. He then said he had just been informed that the U.S. Mission to the U.N. will be expelling 12 diplomats from Russia's Mission to the U.N.