Russia says to expel German diplomats after Germany's "hostile" actions

File photo taken on April 16, 2021 shows the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Moscow. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

The maximum number of employees in German diplomatic missions in Russia will be "significantly" limited, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

MOSCOW, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it decided to "mirror" Germany's "hostile" actions and expel German diplomats from Russia.

"The German authorities have decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany. We strongly condemn these actions of Berlin, which continues to defiantly destroy the entire array of Russian-German relations," the ministry said in a statement.

The maximum number of employees in German diplomatic missions in Russia will also be "significantly" limited, it said, adding that on April 5, 2023, the Russian Foreign Ministry officially notified German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr of this decision.

The German Foreign Ministry has not made official announcements on this matter.

In April last year, Germany announced the expulsion of 40 Russian diplomats, and Russia declared a tit-for-tat move.