Ukrainian President Zelensky Inspects Ukrainian Troops in Eastern Region (April 9, 2021)
Tensions continue to rise as Russia and Ukraine expel diplomats from each other.
The Russian government accused a Ukrainian diplomat on Saturday (April 17) of trying to obtain classified Russian information and ordered him to leave the country by April 22, Reuters reported. The Ukrainian government immediately retaliated by demanding that a Russian diplomat in Kiev leave the country within 72 hours.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said Saturday that Oleksandr Sosoniuk, consul of the Ukrainian consulate in St. Petersburg, was detained while trying to access Russian law enforcement databases and obtain information during a meeting with a Russian citizen. The Russian Foreign Ministry wants Sosoniuk to leave the country within 72 hours.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Sosoniuk was detained for several hours before being allowed to return to the Ukrainian consulate in St. Petersburg and called Sosoniuk’s detention a provocative act.
In a statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said, “We completely deny the charges brought against this consular official.”
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have risen further over Russia’s military buildup in the border region. Ukrainian President Dzerensky on Friday called for peace talks with Russia.
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