Sweden on Tuesday informed Russia that five employees with the Russian Embassy in Stockholm have been asked to leave the country, saying they are suspected of spying.
Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said their activities are “incompatible” with their diplomatic status.
In a statement, Billström said Russia’s Ambassador to Sweden, Viktor Tatarintsev, had been informed of the decision earlier Tuesday.
A year ago, Sweden expelled three Russian Embassy staff as several countries kicked out Russian diplomats.
Sweden’s SAPO domestic security agency has said that “every third Russian diplomat in Sweden is an intelligence officer.” It is not known how many diplomats from Russia are officially assigned to Sweden.
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