The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of a number of employees of the embassies of Belgium and the Netherlands.
Earlier, the ambassadors of the Netherlands and Belgium had received notes of protest over the decision on the "provocative" and "unreasonable" expulsion of Russian diplomats. On March 29, Belgium expelled 21 Russian diplomats and the Netherlands expelled 17 Russian diplomats.
Russia is expelling 14 employees of the Dutch Embassy in Moscow and an employee of the Consulate General in St. Petersburg, they are ordered to leave the country within two weeks. In addition to this, several Belgian diplomats are due to leave Russia by May 3.
