Moscow, Jul 27 (IANS/RIA Novosti): The Russian foreign ministry has criticised the US over what it claimed was America's unwillingness to comply with recent Russian legislation on international adoption.

Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich accused the US of allegedly ignoring reports of a Virginia family's bullying of eight-year-old Daniil Krichun, whose case is now being reviewed by Russia's Investigative Committee.

"The many years of neglect by US government authorities over what was happening to Daniel Krichun once again raises the question of the US' readiness to fully implement the provisions of a bilateral agreement on cooperation in the field of international adoption, and to ensure proper control over the fate of children adopted from Russia," he said.

The Krichun case is the latest in a string of adoption scandals to have broken out between Russia and the US.

Instances of American families allegedly abusing their adopted Russian children have strained relations between the two countries, with officials calling for tougher regulation of international adoption.

Officials had urged for a regulatory law since early 2010, after an American family sent their seven-year-old son back to Russia, citing behavioural problems, in a case that marked the beginning of the adoption row.

Russian officials claim that at least 19 Russian children have died following abuse by American foster parents since adoption by Americans began in the early 1990s.

Kirchun, from Tula, was adopted by Matthew and Amy Sweeney, of Bartstow, Virgina, in 2006. He is now in the care of US Social Services.