London’s expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats over the poisoning amounted to a 40% staff cut,Russia's Ambassador to the United Kingdom Alexander Yakovenko said.
He also said that this decision would seriously affect the work of his embassy.
"Moscow would exert maximum pressure on London in a standoff over the poisoning of a former spy," Interfax cited Yakovenko as saying.
Russia denies Britain’s allegations that it was involved in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, the former double agent, and his daughter Yulia, in England.
