MOSCOW, April 22 (Reuters) – Russia said on Saturday it was expelling several German diplomats in a tit-for-tat move, though Germany did not immediately confirm any expulsions of its own.
Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti said, without citing a source, that Germany was expelling more than 20 Russian diplomats.
A German Foreign Ministry official said that Berlin and Moscow had been in contact over their respective representations in recent weeks, and that the arrival of a Russian government plane in Berlin was related to the issue.
Relations between Russia and Germany, which used to be the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas, have collapsed since Moscow sent its armed forces to Ukraine in February 2022 and the West responded with sanctions and weaponry for Ukraine.
“The German authorities have decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We strongly condemn these actions by Berlin, which continues to demonstratively destroy the full range of Russian-German relations.”
He did not disclose the number of diplomats involved, but said his own expulsions were “reciprocal” and would significantly limit the maximum number of staff in German diplomatic missions.
He said the German ambassador had been informed of the moves in talks on April 5.
The German Foreign Ministry said it had taken note of the Russian statement.
Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Edited by Jason Neely
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