Russia said today several of its diplomats had been expelled from Poland and that a number of Polish diplomats had left Russia after Moscow took "adequate" measures in return.
The Russian foreign ministry did not say why the Russian diplomats had been expelled and the Polish embassy declined immediate comment. Diplomatic sources said four Polish diplomats had left the country yesterday.
“The Polish authorities have taken an unfriendly and unfounded step,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“In connection with that, Russia has undertaken adequate measures in response and a number of Polish diplomats have already left the territory of our country for activities incompatible with their status.”
The diplomatic sources said three Polish military attaches and one employee of the political section had left Russia yesterday after being given 48 hours to leave the country on Friday.
Germany said on Saturday one of its diplomats had been expelled from Moscow after a Russian diplomat working in Bonn was expelled amid media reports he was a spy.
Relations between Moscow and European Union member states have been strained by the crisis in Ukraine and by EU sanctions imposed after Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine.
Ties between Russia and Poland, which for decades was under communist rule and dominated by Moscow after World War Two, have historically been difficult and Warsaw has been one of the fiercest critics of Russia over its role in Ukraine.
Earlier this year, the Polish government cancelled events intended to celebrate bilateral cultural ties in 2015, and last month withdrew accreditation for a Russian journalist working in Warsaw, acting on a request of the Polish internal security agency.