Over 40 Russian diplomats and technical staff to be expelled from Moldova

(Patria) - Forty-five officials from the Russian embassy, including diplomats and technical staff, will be expelled from Moldova, Igor Zakharov, communication advisor at the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, told TASS on Wednesday.

"A total of 45 representatives of the diplomatic mission will leave the country," he said.

The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a decision has been made to reduce the staff at the Russian Embassy in Moldova to the level of staff at the Moldovan Embassy in Moscow - ten diplomats and 15 officials responsible for administrative, technical, and other functions.
The decision was explained by numerous hostile actions and attempts at internal destabilization of Moldova by Russia.

Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicolae Popescu also addressed a journalistic investigation published on Monday at a government session on Wednesday, which drew attention to the large number of antennas on the roof of the Russian embassy in the center of Chisinau. Journal TV reporters claim that the embassy may be collecting confidential information using spy equipment on the roof.

In this regard, Russian Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. In a conversation with journalists, he called the spy scandal merely an excuse to implement a long-standing decision to dismiss diplomatic staff. According to him, Chisinau's actions seriously damage the chances for dialogue between the two countries.

Last October, Moldova expelled an official from the Russian embassy after a missile fell near the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the move unmotivated and responded by expelling a Moldovan diplomat.