Moscow, Apr 18 (IANS): The Russian Foreign Ministry asked a Ukrainian diplomat to leave the country after he was caught red-handed receiving classified information from a Russian citizen.
In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry said it had summoned Ukraine's Charge d'Affaires Vasily Pokotilo after the Federal Security Service intelligence agency briefly detained Ukrainian consul Aleksandr Sosonyuk in St. Petersburg on Friday for obtaining classified information about Russian law enforcement agencies, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Russian side pointed out the inadmissibility of Sosonyuk's activity, which was incompatible with the status of a consular officer and detrimental to Moscow's security interests, the statement said.
The Ministry said that his stay on Russian territory is undesirable and that it is "recommended" that he leave the country within 72 hours starting April 19.