3 Russian diplomats leave Bratislava as Slovakian PM confirms expulsion

Three staff members of the Russian Embassy in Bratislava and their families have left Slovakia, RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday. Slovakia’s PM, Igor Matovic, says the decision to expel Russian diplomats has been made in connection with the murder of a Georgian national in Berlin, the TASS news agency reports.

“When a couple of days ago I was informed about the activities of some staff members of the Russian embassy [in Slovakia] and about confirmations of misuse of [Slovakian] visas in order to commit murder in Germany, I immediately, without hesitation, understood that such actions cannot remain without response,” he was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry said on August 10 that the authorities were expelling three staff members of the Russian Embassy in Bratislava over suspected espionage activity. Moscow said it would retaliate.

A Georgian national was killed in Tiergarten on August 23, 2019, and the Berlin prosecutor’s office said the arrested suspect was a Russian citizen. The Russian authorities have repeatedly denied Russia’s involvement in the Berlin incident.