MOSCOW - The Russian foreign ministry summoned the Finnish Ambassador to Moscow on Wednesday in protest over the seizure of Russian state-owned property in Helsinki, it said in a statement.

The ministry said the Finnish Bailiff Service seized 45 real estate properties in Finland belonging to Russia, adding that some of the properties were used by the embassy and protected by diplomatic immunity.

Russia urged Finland to reconsider its "illegitimate decision," which violates the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and the Finnish ambassador was warned that Russia may take retaliatory measures if necessary.

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Finland began seizing Russian state-owned properties in Helsinki last week, following a court ruling based on a lawsuit filed by Ukraine's state-run energy company Naftogaz.

The seizure is connected to a previous ruling of the International Court of Arbitration in the Hague, requiring Russia to pay more than $5 billion to Naftogaz to compensate for assets allegedly lost in Crimea, according to Russian media.

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Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Washington's recent actions against Russian journalists violate the right to access information and media pluralism.

A film crew from Russia's Izvestia newspaper, who arrived in Washington to cover the upcoming presidential election, was detained and subjected to hours of interrogation on Tuesday night, resulting in one member being expelled from the country, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

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Zakharova noted that the Russian journalists had notified US authorities of their intentions and received permission before their arrival, adding that this reflects the United States' readiness to use repressive measures against inconvenient information.

"The arbitrariness of the American authorities will not remain without a proper reaction on our part," Zakharova said.