Sweden expels 5 Russian diplomats

Sweden's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced on April 25 that five Russian diplomats had been expelled for "activities that are inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

Russia's ambassador to Sweden, Viktor Tatarintsev, was summoned by the Swedish Foreign Affairs Ministry and informed of the decision, according to the press release.

No further details were given, but other Nordic countries have taken steps to expel Russian officials due to what they view as growing security concerns.

On April 13, Norway similarly expelled 15 Russian intelligence officers for "engaging in activities that are not compatible with their diplomatic status."

Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said that "Russia currently poses the greatest intelligence threat to Norway."

VSquare, a network of independent media outlets from Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia, recently found that nearly 200 satellite dishes on the rooftops of 39 Russian diplomatic missions across Europe are used for spying, with the devices installed on top of the embassy in Brussels capable of conducting surveillance even in neighboring countries.

Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, and Danish public media published a joint investigation on April 19 about how Russia is also possibly preparing to sabotage wind turbines, gas pipes, and power cables located near the Nordic countries.

Approximately 400 Russian diplomats have already been expelled from European countries since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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