TOKYO, April 8. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin on Friday protested to Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Mori over the Japanese side's decision to expel employees of the Russian embassy and trade mission, the Russian diplomatic mission said in its Telegram channel.

"Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin made a strong protest to Japan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Mori in connection with the unreasonable and unfriendly decision of the Japanese side to expel eight employees of the Russian embassy and trade mission in Tokyo," the statement said.

Galuzin noted that "Tokyo's actions aimed at destroying Russian-Japanese relations are unacceptable." "It is emphasized that our principled reaction to the unfriendly steps of the Japanese side will inevitably follow. They will not go unanswered," the embassy said in a statement. In addition, the diplomat said that Japan is trying to artificially link the agenda of bilateral relations with a distorted interpretation of the goals and objectives of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

Earlier, Japan announced that it would expel eight employees of the embassy and trade mission in Tokyo. The exact timing of this decision was not disclosed. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS that Moscow will give an "appropriate response" to Tokyo's decision.

Japan has so far recognized only three diplomats as personae non gratae. In 1973, a South Korean diplomat who was involved in the kidnapping of opposition politician Kim Dae-jung, who later became president, was expelled from the country. In 2006, an employee of the Ivorian Embassy was expelled for organizing an underground casino with the Yakuza mafia. Japan also declared the Syrian ambassador persona non grata in 2012.