Estonia announced the expulsion of 21 Russian diplomats and embassy personnel in order to reach parity in between the 2 countries diplomatic personnel on Wednesday.Tensions between Russiaand its European neighbors have increased given that Moscow got into Ukraine last year.The number of positions at Russias embassy in Tallinn and Estonias diplomatic mission in Moscow would now be equal, the foreign ministry added.The expelled individuals have been provided until the end of the month to leave Estonia.
There are no grounds for the existing size of the Russian embassy, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said.
The Russian embassy in Tallinn will be lowered to 8 diplomatic positions and 15 administrative, technical, and service staff members.
Last April, Russia purchased the Estonian consulates in St.
Petersburg and the western Russian city of Pskov to close and stated their staff personality non grata.
Moscow took the choice in a tit-for-tat relocation after Estonia joined its Baltic next-door neighbors Latvia and Lithuania in expelling Russian diplomats over Moscows intrusion of Ukraine.