MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. Russia is expelling an employee of the Moldovan embassy in Moscow in a retaliatory move, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"On August 6, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Moldovan charge d'affaires Alexandru Chetraru. A strong protest was expressed in connection with the continuing unfriendly steps by Chisinau towards Russia," the Foreign Ministry said. "Chetraru was handed a note to the effect that in a response to the unmotivated decision by the Moldovan authorities of August 1 to declare as persona non grata a staffer of the Russian embassy in Moldova, the Russian side declares as persona non grata an employee of the Moldovan embassy in Russia."

The Moldovan Foreign Ministry had announced the expulsion of an assistant military attache of the Russian embassy. Earlier, it was reported that the head of the parliament's legal department and an employee of Chisinau airport’s border police department were detained on the suspicion of cooperation with the Russian embassy, state treason and conspiracy against Moldova.

Russia’s ambassador to Moldova Oleg Vasnetsov told TASS the Moldovan authorities were dismantling relations with Moscow. He emphasized that exactly a year ago, the country had already seen a large-scale campaign of unfounded accusations against the Russian embassy of "spying activities" and "interference" in the internal affairs. At that time, 45 employees of the Russian embassy were expelled from Moldova, but no evidence that might support the charges was presented.