18th March, 2022
Ten Russian diplomats have been expelled on allegations of espionage in Bulgaria, bringing the total thrown out of the country from 2019 to 2021.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry in Sofia.
“The activities of the 10 diplomats were incompatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”.
These Russian diplomats had been ordered out of the country within 72 hours.
Eleonora Mitrofanova, the Russian ambassador to Sofia had been informed about the situation, the ministry said.
The allegations came as U.S. Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, was due to start a two-day visit to the country.
Formerly a member of the communist Eastern Bloc, Bulgaria is now a member of NATO and the European Union.
It has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which also lies on the Black Sea.
dpa/NAN