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Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow (photo from 2021)
Photo: ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP
Bulgaria's announcement that it would expel 70 Russian diplomats from the country has caused discontent in Moscow.
Russia is now apparently considering completely breaking off diplomatic relations with the Southeast European country.
Russia's request to Bulgaria to revoke the largest ever diplomatic expulsion in the EU country was ignored, criticized Russia's ambassador in Sofia, Eleonora Mitrofanova, according to the Interfax agency.
That is why the closure of the entire Russian embassy is now being discussed.
That in turn would "inevitably" mean the end for the work of Bulgaria's embassy in Moscow, according to Mitrofanova.
Mitrofanova had previously given Sofia an ultimatum by Friday noon to withdraw the expulsion of the diplomats.
Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister Kiril Petkov had rejected this on Friday.
Allegations of espionage against Russia have existed for years
Bulgaria announced on Tuesday that it would expel Russian diplomats by the end of this week.
The majority of the diplomats worked "directly for foreign services," it said.
The former Eastern Bloc state has repeatedly expelled Russian diplomats from the country over allegations of espionage in the past - there have been a total of 21 since 2019.
EU and NATO member Bulgaria condemns Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Sofia has also refused to pay for Russian gas in rubles.
As a result, the Russian energy company Gazprom has already stopped supplying gas to Bulgaria.
fek/dpa/Reuters
