Finland to send nine employees of the Russian embassy from the country

Finland will send nine people who worked at the Russian embassy in the country. About it reported in the press service of the Government of Finland.

The authorities of the republic say that they are deporting nine employees of the Russian embassy in connection with the fact that they allegedly worked in intelligence. “Their actions are a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the statement said.

It is specified that the decision was made at a meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and the Prime Minister’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security. According to the press service, the meeting also discussed the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, where the committee “denounced the explosion as a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe.”

On the night of June 6th destroyed part of the Kakhovskaya HPP station, as a result of which an uncontrolled discharge of water began. The level of water rise in Novaya Kakhovka has reached 11 m. The mayor of Novaya Kakhovka Vladimir Leontiev specified that three settlements in the Novokakhovka urban district have already been completely flooded. Earlier, a local state of emergency (ES) was introduced in the district. The authorities, together with the regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, are taking measures to eliminate emergencies in flood zones, as well as protect houses, roads, socially significant objects of the district and evacuate people.

May 1 at the Russian Embassy in Helsinki declared Izvestia that trade cooperation between the countries was almost completely destroyed after joining the EU anti-Russian sanctions. Diplomats are convinced that “new political realities in the relations of countries”‎ were created by the completion on April 4, 2023 of the procedures related to Finland’s entry into NATO.

At the end of April, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström declared about the expulsion of five Russian diplomats. According to him, their activities “on our territory were incompatible with their diplomatic status.” After that, on May 25, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced about the expulsion of five Swedish diplomats in retaliation. In addition, the Russian Consulate General in Swedish Gothenburg will be closed from September 1.