Ukrainian consul in St. Petersburg instructed to leave Russia
Ukraine's Charge d'Affaires a.i. in Russia Vasyl Pokotylo was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday in light of the unlawful activities of a consul of the Ukrainian Consulate General in St. Petersburg.
"The Russian side pointed out to the inadmissibility of such activities, which are incompatible with the status of a consular employee and harmful to the interests of the Russian Federation. It was announced that his stay in the territory of Russia is undesirable and it was recommended [that he] leave its borders within 72 hours starting from April 19, 2021," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Saturday.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported Ukrainian consul Oleksandr Sosoniuk's detention in flagrante delicto while he was trying "to obtain classified information from the databases of the Russian law enforcement agencies and the FSB" in St. Petersburg earlier on Saturday.
"These activities are incompatible with the status of a diplomatic worker and are clearly hostile towards the Russian Federation. Measures in accordance with international law will be taken against the foreign diplomat," the FSB said.