Ireland refuses to issue new visas to Russian diplomats
The Irish government refuses to allow the Russian Federation to replace its diplomats in Dublin. This comes amid concerns about espionage activities in recent years.
RBC-Ukraine reported this regarding The Irish Times.
The publication noted that after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the number of accredited diplomats and administrative staff at the Russian embassy decreased by more than 2 times, namely from 30 to 14.
At the same time, four diplomats were expelled from Ireland in March 2022 on suspicion of espionage.
Two Russian military attaches also left the country. Such officers usually work closely with Russian intelligence agencies or report directly to them when they are abroad.
A spokesman for the Russian embassy told reporters that since last year, Ireland has stopped issuing visas to new embassy staff and refused to extend accreditation for staff already in the country.
"As a result, many staff members were forced to significantly exceed their terms of service here and then leave for Russia for personal reasons without replacement," he said.
Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 11/02/2024
