MOSCOW, April 17 – The Russian Foreign Ministry said this Saturday that the Ukrainian consul in Saint Petersburg, Alexander Susunyuk, who was arrested while carrying out illegal activity, has 72 hours, from April 19, to leave the country, according to Prensa Latin.
Hours earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian Chargé d’Affairs to Moscow, Vasily Bukotillo, on the occasion of the arrest of that country’s consul in Saint Petersburg, which happened when the latter tried to receive classified information from a Russian citizen.
“The Russian side pointed out the unacceptable nature of this type of activity that conflicts with the status of an employee in the consulate and affects Russia’s interests related to their security,” the text of the diplomatic corps stated.
The statement said Bocotelho informed that Susunyuk’s stay on Russian soil was “undesirable” and advised her to leave the country within 72 hours of April 19.
In Kiev, the Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister, Yevhen Yenin, indicated that this was a “provocation” to Russia’s role, and confirmed that his country would respond to the arrest of its consul.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) released a video in which a witness of the events claims Susonyuk was interested in Russian databases with information from that intelligence agency, his vehicle license plates, and criminal cases.
According to the evidence presented, the Ukrainian consul in Saint Petersburg was charged with “espionage” and arrested amid the crime.
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