MOSCOW: The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that 45 Polish diplomats will be expelled in retaliation for the expulsion of the same number of Russian diplomats from Poland last month.

As per reports, the Ministry summoned the Polish Ambassador and declared 45 employees of the Polish Embassy in Moscow and consulates in Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, and St. Petersburg "personae non-gratae" who must leave Russia by April 13.

The Polish Foreign Ministry ordered 45 Russian diplomats to leave within five days on March 23, as part of a concerted effort by Western countries to remove hundreds of diplomats following Moscow's invasion of Kiev.

In retaliation, Russia expelled two Bulgarian diplomats on Friday, after the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry labelled one Russian official persona non grata and gave him 72 hours to leave the country.

Finland has also announced the expulsion of two Russian diplomats and the suspension of a third's visa. This week, a number of other European Union countries have taken similar steps.

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