Foreign Ministry announced countermeasures in response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats

Unfriendly steps against employees of Russian diplomatic missions abroad will not go unanswered, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry said.Four countries announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats in one day

Russia will respond to all unfriendly measures directed against its state institutions abroad, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, RIA Novosti reports.

“Countermeasures will be taken against all unfriendly measures taken against Russian foreign institutions,” she promised.

European countries began a series of expulsions of Russian diplomats after the start of the military operation in Ukraine. In March, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia resorted to such a measure. The authorities of some countries accused the employees of Russian diplomatic missions of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Ireland will expel Russian diplomats Politics

Slovakia, Latvia and Estonia recognized three employees of Russian diplomatic departments as persona non grata. Lithuania added four Russians to the list, North Macedonia five. In response, Russia decided to expel four Lithuanian diplomats and three each from the Latvian and Estonian embassies. Zakharova responded to North Macedonia's decision to expel five diplomatic officials that it was aimed at "breaking bilateral relations" and that the Foreign Ministry would also take retaliatory measures.