A "Pop-A-Lock" van could be seen parked near the entrance to the Russian consular residence in San Francisco Monday, with a blacksmith in casual clothes having dealt with a lock at the residence.

Covered by a large piece of tarp, the blacksmith entered the premises and proceeded to its entrance while the gate was guarded by police officers. In broad daylight, the tarpaulin was then moved to cover the doors of the consular residence, with the blacksmith having apparently worked on the lock under its cover.

Russian diplomats were given an October 1 deadline to vacate the residence, following a directive by the US State Department ordering the closure of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco.

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"Despite warnings, US authorities have not listened to the voice of reason and didn't give up on their unlawful intents. Today they completely seized all premises of Russia's Consulate General in San Francisco, with the residential section of the administrative building," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday, adding that American secret services have been "bossing around" in the building's restricted areas for a month.

A separate residence of the consul general has also been "seized," the statement added, saying that US actions are a "new flagrant violation of international law."