RUSSIA EXPELS TWO BULGARIAN DIPLOMATS

Russia declared two Bulgarian diplomats ‘persona non grata’ yesterday and ordered them to leave the country in response to Sofia’s expulsion of two Russian diplomats last month for suspected espionage.

The action followed Russia’s decision to kick out diplomats from the United States, Czech Republic and Poland in a flurry of expulsions within the past five days in retaliation for the barring of its own staff, reflecting a sharp deterioration in its relations with the West.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday that Russia was not to blame for the spike in tensions, and said foreign countries should refrain from “mass anti-Russia psychosis”.

Bulgaria threw out the Russian diplomats in March after prosecutors charged six people, including current and former military intelligence officers, with spying for Russia.