CHISINAU (Sputnik) — On Monday, Moldovan media reported about the decision of Chisinau to expel five Russian diplomats. Russian Ambassador to Moldova Farit Mukhametshin confirmed to Sputnik that the embassy had received the relevant note from the Moldovan Foreign Ministry and was studying it.
"The rules do not allow me to do it. They have been declared personae non gratae on the grounds of information received from the security services. This is a standard procedure. It is everything I can say at the moment. I cannot tell you all the grounds provided by the security services," Filip told reporters, answering a request to reveal the names of the diplomats.
The decision of Chisinau has already been criticized by a number of both officials from Russia, such as Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, and from Moldova, including the country's President Igor Dodon.