Russia has expelled a staff member of the German embassy in Moscow, calling the move a “symmetrical response” to a similar decision by the German government, the Russian foreign ministry announced on Thursday.
In January Germany declared a Russian embassy employee in Berlin-who had been accredited as a diplomat-persona non grata, alleging that he had conducted espionage activities in Germany. The dismissal was made effective immediately.
Russia rejected those allegations, saying they were baseless and fabricated in a climate of “spy hysteria” promoted by German authorities. The foreign ministry described Germany’s action as a cheap provocation aimed at discrediting the Russian diplomatic mission in Germany.
