According to information, Alexander Gasyuk, correspondent of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper accredited in Sofia, left Bulgaria during the day. DANSZ accused the journalist of endangering the national security of Bulgaria, a member of the European Union and NATO, MTI reported.
According to the National Security Service, Jaszjuk’s Bulgarian residence permit has been revoked, and he has been banned from traveling to other EU member states.
In return, Angel Grigorov, a correspondent for Bulgarian Public Radio in Moscow, was invited to visit the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to the Bulgarian news agency BTA, Russian Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expected retaliatory measures. Zaharova called Jasyuk’s expulsion “another illegal act” by NATO against Russian journalists.
Last year, 70 employees of the Russian embassy in Sofia were expelled on charges of espionage, and in September this year, the abbot and two priests of the Sofia denomination of the Russian Orthodox Church had to leave Bulgaria.
After the all-out invasion of Ukraine at the beginning of 2022, European countries severely restricted the freedom of movement of Russian spies. More than 400 Russian intelligence agents working under diplomatic cover at European Union embassies in the country have been expelled from Europe as part of an unprecedented, coordinated effort, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced. Foreign Policy.
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