Moscow: Russia announced on Thursday that it has expelled an employee of the German embassy in Moscow. This action comes as a direct response to Berlin's earlier decision to expel a Russian embassy staff member over allegations of espionage.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Russian Foreign Ministry conveyed this decision during a meeting with German Ambassador Alexander Lambsdorff, during which they also lodged a formal protest. The Ministry's statement criticized the accusations of intelligence activity against the Russian diplomat, labeling them as unfounded and a product of what they describe as 'spy mania' incited by German authorities.

The statement further asserted that Russia "categorically rejects" the claims and perceives them as a deliberate attempt to discredit the Russian diplomatic mission in Germany. The Ministry emphasized that the German diplomat was declared 'persona non grata' as a reciprocal measure, attributing responsibility for the increased tension in bilateral relations to the German government.

On January 22, the German Federal Foreign Office had announced the expulsion of a Russian embassy staff member accused of espionage, amidst escalating tensions between the two nations. The German ministry had summoned the Russian Ambassador and informed him of the decision, though they did not provide additional details regarding the espionage incident.

The diplomatic expulsions follow the arrest of a German-Ukrainian woman in Berlin, accused by prosecutors of gathering sensitive intelligence on arms deliveries to Ukraine. Federal prosecutors identified her as Ilona W., alleging that she had been in contact with a Russian intelligence operative at the Russian Embassy in Berlin since at least November 2023.