Russia says it is expelling 14 Bulgarian consular and embassy staff in response to Sofia’s “unfounded” decision to expel Russian diplomatic personnel as tensions rage over Moscow’s ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on August 5 that it had summoned Bulgarian Ambassador Atanas Krystin and handed him a note declaring the 14 employees in Russia as personae non gratae.
Several European countries have expelled Russian diplomats after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February.
Bulgaria said in late June that it was expelling 70 Russian diplomats and temporarily closing Russia’s Consulate-General in the northern Bulgarian city of Ruse.
After Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into pro-Western Ukraine on February 24, many Western countries slapped wide-ranging sanctions on Moscow.
These measures included the exclusion of several Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system, embargoes on Russian exports, restrictions on investments, asset freezes for government officials and their families, and travel bans for many senior Russian officials./REL
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