BERLIN, November 28. /TASS/. German top diplomat Annalena Baerbock reported that Russian Ambassador to Berlin Sergey Nechayev has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry over the expulsion of two employees of the German ARD media group from Russia.

"The expulsion of ARD employees is unacceptable, and its justification is entirely baseless. We strongly condemn it. We have summoned the Russian ambassador today in this regard," Baerbock stated at a press conference in Berlin.

On November 27, it was reported that the German authorities have decided to shut down the bureau of Channel One based in the country. Employees of the Berlin correspondent office, Ivan Blagoy and Dmitry Volkov, have been ordered to leave Germany. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko called it a blatant violation of all fundamental principles of international communication. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also commented on the matter, stating that Russia plans to expel two journalists of the German ARD media group in response to the closure of the bureau. She added that Russia may consider accrediting new ARD employees in case the German government restores the operations of Channel One’s correspondent office in Berlin.