Russia has expelled a German diplomat in a tit-for-tat response to Berlin’s decision to remove a Russian official accused of espionage in January.
In a statement on Thursday, Russia’s foreign ministry announced the expulsion, rejecting Germany’s spying allegations as baseless and describing them as a deliberate provocation. Moscow insisted that the Russian diplomat did not engage in espionage and accused Berlin of exploiting the claims to damage bilateral relations.
According to reports, German authorities arrested a Russian diplomatic official on January 21, 2026, on suspicion of spying and expelled the individual the following day. The diplomat was alleged to have collected information on drones intended for Ukraine during political events in Germany.
German Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul stressed that such actions would not be tolerated, stating that espionage has no place on German territory, particularly when carried out under diplomatic cover. Germany’s foreign ministry reiterated this position in a post on X, emphasizing its zero-tolerance stance.
Moscow had previously dismissed the accusations and warned it would take reciprocal measures. Thursday’s expulsion follows through on that warning and represents the latest escalation in strained relations between Russia and Germany.
The incident underscores a growing pattern of reciprocal diplomatic expulsions, reflecting rising tensions between Moscow and several Western European countries in recent years.