KIEV, April 27. /TASS/. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has declared Russia’s consul in the city of Odessa persona non grata in response to Moscow’s expulsion of a Ukrainian diplomat on April 26, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"In response, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry declares Russia’s consul general in Odessa persona non grata. He must leave Ukraine until the end of day on April 30, 2021," the statement reads.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also strongly protested against Russia's decision to expel a Ukrainian diplomat from the embassy in Moscow, rejecting "accusations that the Ukrainian diplomat was involved in activities incompatible with his diplomatic status."

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on April 26 that "following Ukraine’s move to declare an employee of the Russian embassy in Kiev persona non grata and based on the principle of reciprocity, an employee of the Ukrainian embassy in Russia has been declared persona non grata." He is expected to leave the country until the end of day on April 30.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added that if Kiev continued to take unfriendly actions against Russian diplomats, Moscow could take additional measures against Ukrainian diplomatic workers.