CHISINAU, August 1. /TASS/. Russia’s ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov has accused Moldova of actions aimed at dismantling relations with Russia. He was talking to the media after visiting the Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a protest note with a demand an assistant to the military attache should leave the country.

"These actions are aimed at dismantling Russian-Moldovan relations. <...> Russia always provides a proportionate response. We will see what decision the leadership will make. In any case, this does not contribute to the spirit of normal mutual understanding and cooperation, something we urge the Moldovan leadership to pursue all the time," Vasnetsov said.

He recalled that exactly one year ago, a large-scale campaign of unsubstantiated accusations against the Russian embassy over alleged "spying activities" and "interference" in the internal processes in the country had already taken place. Then, 45 staffers of the Russian embassy were expelled from Moldova. Earlier today, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that it would not leave this step of the Moldovan side without a response.

The day before, the Moldovan prosecutor's office reported the detention of an employee of the Moldovan parliament and a border police officer on the suspicion of treason and of passing information to a foreign embassy. The prosecutor's office did not mention either the country in question or the names of officials. The local media have speculated that the head of the parliament's legal department, Ion Creanga, was one of the detainees.