Ukraine expels Russian diplomat

kiev: Ukraine’s foreign ministry on Monday said it had expelled a Russian diplomat after Moscow ordered a Ukrainian consul in Saint Petersburg to leave Russia, accusing him of trying to obtain sensitive information.

The expulsions come as tensions have soared between Russia and Ukraine in recent weeks, with Kiev accusing Moscow of massing troops on its border. "Today the Ukrainian foreign ministry sent a note declaring persona non grata one of the advisers of the Russian embassy in Kiev," foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko told AFP.

"He must leave the territory of our state within 72 hours." On Saturday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had a day earlier detained a consul of Ukraine’s Consulate General in Saint Petersburg, Alexander Sosonyuk.

The domestic intelligence agency said Sosonyuk had been caught "red-handed" during a meeting with a Russian national as he sought to receive "classified" information. Sosonyuk was ordered to leave Russia within 72 hours.

Ukraine on Saturday made "strong protest regarding the unlawful detention" of Sosonyuk. It "completely denies the charges" brought against him, said Nikolenko. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday Russia has massed more than 150,000 troops along the Ukrainian border and in the annexed Crimea peninsula. "It is the highest Russian military deployment at the Ukrainian borders ever," Borrell told journalists after talks involving Ukraine’s foreign minister. He refused to disclose the source of the figure.