Russia announces expulsion of diplomats of 23 countries

Diplomats of 23 countries will be expelled from Russia as a response to expulsion of Russian diplomats as reaction to the case of Russian former intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in Great Britain, the Russian foreign ministry informs.

The ministry summoned heads of diplomatic missions of Australia, Albania, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Sweden, Spain.

“They were handed over protest notes and told that in response to unfounded claims of the mentioned countries on expulsion of Russian diplomatic officials the Russian side declared personas non grata corresponding numbers of officials from diplomatic mission of those states in Russia,” the Russian ministry says in a statement.

It also notes that Moscow reserves the right to reciprocal measures towards Belgium, Georgia, Hungary, and Montenegro that also took decisions to expel Russian diplomatic workers.

It was announced previously that several British diplomats are to leave Russia. The UK Foreign Office has called the expulsion an anticipated but regrettable measure.