MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. Russia expels eight Japanese diplomats based on the principle of reciprocity, they must leave Russia until May 10, Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement Wednesday.
"The Russian side demanded that eight Japanese diplomatic workers leave our country until May 10," the statement reads.
The Ministry noted that, on Wednesday, a representative of the Embassy of Japan was summoned, and told that, since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Tokyo embarked on a "deliberately anti-Russian course."
"Despite common sense, Japan openly adopted a position of total support of the neo-Nazi militias operating in Ukraine; it provides political, economic and military aid to the Kiev Regime. This is being accompanied by fanning of Russophobic hysteria in the Japanese society, and creation of serious obstructions for operation of Russian missions abroad in violation of the 1961 Vienna convention on diplomatic relations," the Ministry added.
The Ministry underscored that the responsibility for such step lies with the government of Japan, "who made a choice to reject friendly, constructive relations with Russia."
In early April, Japan announced that it expels eight employees of Russian embassy and trade office over the situation around Ukraine and the ongoing Russian special military operation.