The New York Times reported that roughly 1,350 State Department employees were laid off last week, including senior analysts in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) who focus on Russia and Ukraine, according to current and former U.S. officials.These cuts represent a major loss of institutional knowledge at a critical time, as President Trump is intensifying efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. On Monday, Trump unveiled a plan to send arms to Ukraine and threatened severe sanctions on Russia if it does not agree to a cease-fire.The layoffs are part of broader staffing reductions within the INR, which provides deep analysis to guide U.S. diplomacy but does not conduct espionage. It is unclear exactly how many analysts were dismissed, but some staff focused on Russia and Ukraine remain after merging two offices.Ellen McCarthy, former INR chief during Trump’s first term, called the cuts “shortsighted,” writing on LinkedIn: “This isn’t just about jobs, it’s about weakening a critical capability at exactly the wrong time. The world is more complex, more volatile, and more interconnected than ever. We should be investing in INR, not shrinking it.”The shake-up comes under Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s reorganization plan, aimed at cutting bureaucratic “bloat” and what he described as “radical ideology.” Hundreds of offices will close or merge, though overseas operations are unaffected. A State Department spokesperson said the changes will create a “more streamlined, efficient, and agile INR” without sacrificing its core mission, dismissing criticism as “baseless political attacks.”Rubio’s memo to Congress states several INR offices will merge, including the Office of Analysis for Europe and the Office of Analysis for Russia and Eurasia, now combined into one.The restructuring faces congressional scrutiny this week. At a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Democrats criticized the cuts. Rep. Gregory Meeks accused Rubio of “gutting the very institutions we rely on to confront” global threats like Russia and China.Rep. William Keating pressed Deputy Secretary Michael Rigas on the firing of the entire team investigating Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Rigas replied the office was “consolidated” and its duties reassigned.“For too long, single-issue offices have mushroomed in number and influence, often distorting our foreign policy objectives,” Rigas said, “slowing down the department’s ability to function.”