Russia has declared an employee of the Romanian embassy in Moscow persona non grata. This was reported by Interfax with reference to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to the ministry, the measure is a response to Romania's declaration of "persona non grata" by a diplomat from the Russian embassy in Bucharest.
Another wave of expulsions of Russian diplomats began in April, after the publication of photographs of killed civilians in Bucha. Hundreds of employees of Russian embassies were declared persona non grata. Countries that expelled Russian diplomats:
- Germany – 40 diplomats,
- France – 35 diplomats,
- Italy – 30 diplomats,
- Denmark – 15 diplomats,
- Sweden – 3 diplomats,
- Spain – 25 diplomats,
- Portugal – 10 diplomats,
- Poland – 45 diplomats,
- Czech Republic – one diplomat,
- Netherlands – 17 diplomats,
- Belgium – 21 diplomats,
- Ireland – 4 diplomats,
- Estonia – 14 diplomats, closed the main consulate of Russia,
- Latvia – 13 diplomats, closed two consulates,
- Lithuania – the ambassador left the country, the consulate in Klaipeda was closed,
- Slovenia – 33 diplomats,
- Greece – 12 diplomats,
- Japan – 8 diplomats,
- Austria – 4 diplomats,
- Croatia – 24 diplomats.
Last year, the Romanian authorities also declared an assistant to the military attaché at the Russian embassy in Bucharest persona non grata. The Romanian Foreign Ministry said that the activities and actions of the diplomat are contrary to the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. In response, Russia declared persona non grata the Assistant Defense Attache at the Romanian Embassy in Moscow.
