North Macedonia confirmed on Saturday that it has ordered the expulsion of three Russian diplomats, marking the third such action since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.
The Russian Federation’s ambassador in Skopje, Sergey Bazdnikin, was summoned on September 12th and informed that three of his colleagues were declared persona non grata and must leave the country, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.
This decision was made after receiving information from relevant institutions regarding activities that violated the Vienna convention for diplomatic relations, the statement added.
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, North Macedonia has expelled Russian diplomats on two previous occasions. In March 2023, five diplomats were expelled, followed by an additional six in the following month.
In March 2020, North Macedonia became a member of NATO and is currently seeking membership in the European Union.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022, North Macedonia aligned itself with the EU’s decision to impose sanctions on Moscow. Officials in Skopje have referred to Russia as a “hostile state.”
