Dozens of Russian diplomats have left Moldova after the government in Chisinau accused Moscow of „ongoing tensions and unfriendly actions.”
The Moldovan foreign ministry said that embassy staff and diplomats would have to leave by 15 August.
Several diplomats from the Russian embassy left the ex-Soviet state on a charter plane on Monday morning.
The flight was scheduled to take off at 9:00 am with some 100 people on board, including diplomats and technical staff from the Russian embassy, and their family members.
They were taken to the airport in two buses. Others appear to have left in their cars and other chartered flights.
There was a demonstration in support of the expelled diplomats in front of the Russian embassy on Monday morning.
Moldova announced in late July that it was expelling 45 Russian diplomats and other embassy staff after reports suggested that new surveillance equipment was installed on the Russian embassy roof and a neighboring building used by Russia.
Moldova’s Foreign Ministry had previously cited „ongoing tensions and unfriendly actions” from Russia for the decision. Russian ambassador to Moldova, Oleg Vasnetsov, called the decision „predictable” adding no evidence was presented to support the accusations.
Russia’s foreign ministry said the move would not remain unanswered.
