Two Russian planes departed Bulgaria on Sunday amid a mass expulsion of tensions among historic countries. Russian diplomats said there were dozens of diplomatic staff and their families.
Russian high-ranking diplomat Philip Vosklessensky ordered journalists to depart last week at the airport in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, before the plane departed. He said he was one of the Russian diplomats. Country by the end of Sunday.
The decision to expel Bulgaria was announced by Acting Prime Minister Kirill Petkov, who showed a strong stance against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Petkov, who lost his distrust on June 22, claimed that Moscow used "hybrid warfare" tactics to overthrow his government.
Petkov said Russia would retain 43 employees after its expulsion, and that Bulgaria had only 12 diplomatic staff in Moscow.
"Anyone who goes against the interests of Bulgaria will be called back to the country they came from," he said.
On Friday, Russian ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova issued an ultimatum to Bulgaria, overturning that decision and threatening Moscow to cut off diplomatic relations altogether.
"I intend to urgently raise the issue of the closure of the Russian embassy in Bulgaria before the leaders of my country, which inevitably leads to the closure of the Bulgarian diplomatic mission in Moscow. It will be connected, "she said.
The expulsion, which has severely strained diplomatic relations, is the largest number of Russian diplomats in history exiled by the European Union and NATO member Bulgaria. Bulgaria has strongly supported western sanctions against Moscow since it began its war with Ukraine more than four months ago.
The European Union, which Bulgaria has been a member of since 2007, responded to Russia's "injustice threat" and said it "is in full support and solidarity with Bulgaria."
In late April, Russia cut off gas supplies to Bulgaria after authorities rejected Moscow's request to pay for gas in the Russian currency, the ruble. The Bulgarian defense minister was also banished in early March for calling the Russian war a "special military operation," the Kremlin liked.
