10 Russian diplomats expelled from Bulgaria

The Bulgarian government has expelled 10 Russian diplomats from the country, according to Russian and Bulgarian news sources.

“At the suggestion of the competent authorities, agreed with Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, Bulgaria today declared ten Russian diplomats personae non grata,” said the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

The diplomats, who were located in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, have been given a 72-hour period to leave the country.

Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasil Georgiev met with the Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova to deliver the announcement, according to Bulgarian reports.

“Ten diplomats have been declared personae non grata, the wording is usual – ‘activities incompatible with their status.’ We perceive this as an extremely unfriendly act and reserve the right to retaliate,” Mitrofanova told the Russian press in response.

Bulgarian authorities said that employees of the Russian Embassy had carried out activities in Bulgaria that were “incompatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”

Bulgaria announced support for Ukraine and condemned Russian aggression before Russia invaded Ukraine last month.

“The Republic of Bulgaria invariably supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, including in its territorial waters,” the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Feb. 16.

It added: “The Republic of Bulgaria condemns the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation leading to an unprecedented escalation of military tensions in Europe to the levels of the Cold War and calls for de-escalation.”