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Bulgaria demands Russia revoke diplomat suspected of spying

The diplomat in question has already left the country, according to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry

A plaque outside the Russian embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria Igor Lenkin/TASS

A plaque outside the Russian embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria

© Igor Lenkin/TASS

SOFIA, October 28. /TASS/. Bulgaria is expelling a Russian diplomat, whom the prosecutor’s office earlier accused of spying. As the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said after a meeting with the Russian ambassador, the diplomat in question has already left the country.

"The Bulgarian side expressed the wish that the embassy’s staffer should be revoked on Monday by the end of the day. The diplomat has reportedly left Bulgaria," the Foreign Ministry stated. TASS has obtained no comment from the Russian embassy yet.

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Bulgarian prosecutor’s office accuses Russian diplomat of espionage

Earlier on Monday the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office said it had launched criminal proceedings against a Russian diplomat. At the same time the case was paused, because the person in question enjoyed diplomatic immunity.

"The special prosecutor’s office launched proceedings over a crime against the republic committed by a foreign citizen. Since September 2018 the foreign citizen in question has been collecting information constituting a state secret concerning the interests of Bulgaria, the European Union and NATO for passing it on to a foreign country," the statement says.

The Russian embassy in Bulgaria has refrained from comment.

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Russia’s anti-tank missile system gets ‘top attack’ capability similar to US Javelin

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Expert says ‘sanitary zone’ in Ukraine should be 300 kilometers deep

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Four Ukrainian drones shot down over Belgorod Region — defense ministry

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Christelle Nahan noted that people were tired of the fact that there was not enough money for the development of infrastructure, hospitals and schools, for pensions and benefits for children

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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several more officials were reported onboard

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invited the Russian President to visit his country when he traveled to Russia in September

Slovak PM’s attacker pleads guilty before court — media

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Death toll from Israeli strike on central Gaza rises to 20 — Al Jazeera

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London blacklists two Russian companies, one firm from North Korea

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Three UAVs were destroyed over the territory of the Belgorod region

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Teams of Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile systems of Russia’s Battlegroup East shield first-echelon troops and civilian facilities in the south Donetsk direction

French Interior Ministry ignores Russian volunteers banned from working at Olympics

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Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, May 17th

Russia to take response measures amid nuclear threats — senior diplomat

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Russia warns US, EU, Kiev they are playing with fire — MFA about Ukrainian strikes

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Ukrainian president rejects French leader’s idea of Olympic truce

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Honduran ambassador to Moscow dies — Honduran foreign ministry

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS that the Russian foreign ministry has extended its condolences over the Honduran ambassador’s death

Air defense is repelling a missile attack in Sevastopol — region’s governor

Traffic on the Crimean Bridge has been temporarily closed

Russian court seizes Deutsche Bank’s assets under RusChemAlliance’s claims

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Chairman of Georgia’s ruling party blasts foreign ministers for speaking at protest

Garibashvili suggested that foreign diplomats feel dismissive toward Georgia

Ukrainian forces unprepared to withstand Russian offensive near Kharkov — newspaper

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Six drones fall near oil refinery in Krasnodar Region — authorities

Roman Sinyagovsky added that, according to preliminary information, there were no casualties or damage

German Chancellor Scholz warns against a full-scale ground operation in Rafah

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Russia to find platforms for speaking out if US refuses to issue visas — senior diplomat

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Russia, China sign ten joint documents

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Ukraine’s 2014 coup was CIA’s political mistake — Putin

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Acute foreign policy confrontation between Russia, West ‘in full swing’ — Lavrov

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Slovak PM's life no longer in danger, top defense official says

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Kiev asks US to lift restrictions on using weapons against targets in Russia — newspaper

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Russia’s upgraded T-80BV tank to feature capability of firing depleted uranium shells

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US should explain to Ukraine that military aid won’t last forever — magazine

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Air defenses down 103 Ukrainian drones, 12 ATACMS missiles, 4 Hammer bombs over day

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Congolese armed forces thwart coup attempt — spokesman

Gunfire was heard in the morning near the residence of Vital Kamerhe

Over 500 military, special vehicles commissioned to Russia’s Central Military District

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Ukrainian attack on bus in Kherson Region injures 16 civilians, kills one — governor

All the others have bruises and light wounds, Governor Vladimir Saldo told TASS

Over 10,000 Ukrainian fighters surrender since summer using special radio frequency

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Law on new rules of mobilization comes into force in Ukraine

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Russian air defenses down Ukrainian drone in Russia’s Belgorod Region — top brass

Air defenses on duty destroyed the Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the Belgorod Region, the Defense Ministry reported