A Russian citizen has claimed he was removed from a domestic American flight after another passenger complained the man had occupied Crimea.

In a Facebook post, Andrei Yeomin said Delta Air Lines removed him from the flight "for being a Russian citizen."

"Got kicked out from the plane Delta airlines!!!! Seattle Atlanta. Despite the fact of having platinum membership with the sky team alliance," Mr Yeryomin wrote on Facebook.

"Flight 1588. For being Russian citizen. Not kidding."

Putin joins celebration marking takeover of Crimea

He added: "Passenger next to me refused to fly with me because according to him I was an occupant of Crimea as well as other Russian citizens. WTF.”

Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in 2014 in a move seen by much of the international community as illegal.

Mr Yeryomin said as a result he was forced to get a much later flight.

"God bless America," he said. "Time to go home after 22 years of living here lol.”

The Russian Embassy in Washington said it was investigating.

Russian military activity in Crimea Show all 11 1 /11 Russian military activity in Crimea Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian13-ap.jpg Russian, right, and Ukrainian navy sailors are deployed outside a Ukrainian Coast Guard base in Balaklava near Sevastopol, Crimea (AP) AP Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian9-ap.jpg An unidentified armed man patrols a square in front of the airport in Simferopol, Ukraine (AP) AP Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian12-ap.jpg A soldier rests atop a Russian armored personnel carriers with a road sign reading "Sevastopol - 32 kilometers, Yalta - 70 kilometers", near the town of Bakhchisarai, Ukraine (AP) AP Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian11-rtp.jpg Armed Russian navy servicemen surround a Ukrainian border guard base in Balaclava, in the Crimea region (Reuters) Reuters Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian10-afpgt.jpg Unidentified soldiers block a road to Ukrainian military airport Belbek not far from Sevastopol (AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian7-rt.jpg Sea gulls perch onboard a Russian military vessel anchored at a navy base in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol (Reuters) Reuters Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian6-afpgt.jpg Activists of the Russian Bloc party guard the road to Ukrainian military airport Belbek not far from Sevastopol (AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian8-rt.jpg Ukrainian police walk near the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol. Ukraine said on Thursday it would regard any movements by Russian military in Crimea outside the Russian Black Sea fleet's base in Sevastopol as an act of aggression. (Reuters) Reuters Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian-navy1-rt.jpg Armed Russian navy servicemen surround a Ukrainian border guard base in Balaclava, in Crimea region (Reuters) Reuters Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian4-ap.jpg An unidentified gunman holds his assault rifle ready while he and others block the road toward the military airport at the Black Sea port of Sevastopol in Crimea (AP) AP Russian military activity in Crimea Ukraine-russian3-ap.jpg A local resident smiles preventing people from going too close to unidentified gunmen blocking the road toward the military airport at the Black Sea port of Sevastopol in Crimea (AP) AP

However, Delta Air Lines dismissed Mr Yeryomin's allegations.

In a statement to the state-run RIA Novosti agency, Delta Air Lines said saying Mr Yeremin had not been allowed to board the plane because he had been late to the flight and had then broken through closed doors.