Moldova Expels 45 People from Russian Embassy, Staff Reduced by Nearly 60 People

The Moldovan government has announced that the number of accredited diplomats and technical and administrative staff of the Russian Embassy in Chișinău would be reduced from 84 to 25.

According to Moldovan news agency Deschide.MD, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that the number of diplomatic positions was reduced to 10 and the number of technical staff to 15.

"This was a fundamental decision of which the Chișinău authorities informed the representative of the Russian Federation this morning at the Foreign Ministry," Vodă said.

Subsequently, the Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova on communications, Igor Zaharov, clarified that the authorities made the decision to expel 18 diplomats and 27 representatives of the technical staff from the Russian embassy, as reported by NewsMaker.

As a result, 45 employees of the Russian embassy are expected to leave Moldova, which is fewer than the number the government in Chisinau initially ordered to be reduced. The difference in figures can likely be explained by some positions at the embassy being unfilled.

Earlier, an investigation by Jurnal TV and The Insider was posted, stating that dozens of antennas and satellite dishes were installed on the roof of the Russian embassy in Moldova and used by the Russian secret services for spying.

Afterwards, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov to get an explanation of the actions of the Russian secret services in Chișinău.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that the country's intelligence services were briefed on the situation and would later propose a "solution to this problem". Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu announced a decision to reduce the number of staff at the Russian Embassy in Chișinău.