Advertisement

Russia And Sweden In Tit-For-Tat Diplomat Spat

Russia And Sweden In Tit-For-Tat Diplomat Spat

Russia has expelled a Swedish diplomat - apparently in retaliation for a similar move by authorities in Stockholm.

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said in a statement that it was making a Swedish diplomat "persona non grata" in response to an "unfriendly action" against a Russian diplomat in Sweden.

Tensions between the two countries have been building since the Ukraine crisis erupted and Sweden's security service has accused Russia of using as many as a third of its diplomatic staff there for illicit intelligence gathering.

Russia did not identify either diplomat or give further details but added that "Stockholm bears full responsibility for the consequences of this provocation".

Sweden had confirmed the expulsion of one of its diplomats on Monday, stating it had been forced to take action against a Russian because of actions "not in line with the Vienna Convention", which governs diplomatic relations.

Sweden's SAPO security service has claimed it stopped a number of attempts by Russia last year to obtain Swedish technology for military purposes.

Its defence minister, Peter Hultqvist, said in June that the Scandinavian country - which is not part of NATO - was stepping up exercises with the military alliance amid concerns over Moscow's aggression on Russia's western borders.

Sweden spent eight days in October 2014 hunting a suspected Russian submarine in the Stockholm archipelago - a search that involved ships, helicopters and around 200 troops.

The military said a "mini submarine" had crossed into its territorial waters, but the nationality was never confirmed.

Prime minister Stefan Lofven said at the time: "Let me say this, loud and clear, to those who are responsible: It is completely unacceptable."

The incident followed reports in the Swedish media of an increase in Russian air force manoeuvres in the Baltic.

These included a close encounter in early October between a Swedish spy plane and a Russian fighter jet.