Ukraine has declared a staffer of Russia’s consulate-general in Lvov persona non grata, the security service SBU said on Tuesday.
“The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry declared the diplomat persona non grata for activity incompatible with the status of a consular official. He has already left Ukraine,” the SBU said.
As the Ukrainian special service claims, the diplomat allegedly recruited a military retiree to gather intelligence about political and public figures, Ukrainian military units, special and law enforcement agencies and foreign military instructors in the country’s western region.
The Russian embassy in Ukraine has declined to comment on the SBU’s statement, saying that it was not a recent event.
“It’s an old affair. We will refrain from comment,” the embassy’s staffer told on Tuesday.