Russia expelled German diplomats

On May 1 of this year, the authorities of Russia expelled more than 20 German diplomats in response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Germany.

A statement from the German Foreign Ministry indicates that some staff members of the German diplomatic mission in Russia left the country on Monday, May 1. The expulsion of German diplomats was described by the Russian Foreign Ministry as a mirror response to Germany’s decision.

In mid-April, Germany expelled Russian diplomats to “reduce the presence of intelligence services” in the country, the German government stated.

Earlier in the spring of 2022, Germany declared around 40 Russian diplomats persona non grata. In response, Russia also expelled 40 German diplomats from the country.

The German authorities reported that with the onset of the military conflict in Ukraine, Russian intelligence services had noticeably intensified their activities in Germany.