Russia declares 3 employees of Slovak embassy in Moscow personae non gratae - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW. March 28 (Interfax) - Russia has expelled three employees of the Slovak embassy in Moscow as a retaliatory measure, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"Slovak Ambassador to Russia L'ubomir Rehak was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on March 28 to be told that the Russian side has decided to declare three diplomats of Slovakia's embassy in Moscow personae non gratae in response to the expulsion of three employees of the Russian embassy to Slovakia in March this year," the ministry said in a statement published on its website.

"They have been ordered to leave the Russian Federation territory within 72 hours," it said.

"The chief of the Slovak diplomatic mission was also presented with a strong protest over obstacles being caused to the operations of Russian missions in Slovakia and threats to their safe functioning."

"It was firmly indicated to the ambassador that instances of vandalism in relation to memorials and burial sites of Soviet soldiers in Slovakia, which have been increasingly more frequent lately, are unacceptable," the ministry said.