"The operations of the Russian Federation's Consulate General in Aleppo have been suspended, " the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, the news agency reported.
Countrywide xenophobic riots in 2008 in which some 62 people were reported killed and thousands injured have been followed by sporadic, often murderous violence against foreign refugees.
The WSJ reported that Cramb had been fired after indications emerged that he had been aware of possible bribes involving foreign officials in China dating back to 2005.