Russia has declared five diplomats from the Embassy of Croatia in Moscow personae non gratae citing reciprocal measures, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
"In response to Zagreb’s earlier unfriendly steps to cut the diplomatic staff of the Russian Embassy, [Croatian] Ambassador Tomislav Tsar was handed today a note declaring five diplomats of the Croatian Embassy in Moscow personae non gratae," the statement reads.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that the head of the Croatian diplomatic mission in Moscow was "handed a resolute protest in regard to ungrounded efforts of the authorities of Croatia to shift the blame on Russia for war crimes in Ukraine and for the Croatian assistance to neo-Nazi regime in Kiev."
The Foreign Ministry of Croatia announced on April 11 that 24 diplomats of the Russian Embassy in Zagreb were subjected to the expulsion from the country, citing Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
