Why Bulgaria expelled Russia diplomat

Bulgaria on Friday declared 10 Russian diplomats persona non grata on allegations of espionage, bringing the total thrown out of the country since 2019 to 21.

“The activities of the 10 diplomats were incompatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Sofia said.

The Russian diplomats had been ordered out of the country within 72 hours.

The Russian ambassador to Sofia, Eleonora Mitrofanova, had been informed, the ministry said.

The allegations came as U.S. Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, was due to start a two-day visit to the country.

Formerly a member of the communist Eastern Bloc, Bulgaria is now a member of NATO and the European Union.

It has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which also lies on the Black Sea.