France has decided to expel six Russian spies who, according to it, operated under cover of their embassy in Paris and "whose activities have proven to be contrary to (its) national interests", indicated, this Monday evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a press release.
“Following a very long investigation, the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) uncovered this Sunday, April 10 a clandestine operation carried out by the Russian intelligence services on our territory.
Six Russian agents operating under diplomatic cover (…) have been declared persona non grata,” the ministry said in a statement.
"In the absence of the Russian ambassador, the number two was summoned to the Quai d'Orsay this evening to be informed of this decision".
Already 35 evictions last Monday
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin hailed the work of French counterintelligence.
“Remarkable counterintelligence operation.
Bravo to the DGSI agents who hindered a network of Russian clandestine agents, he tweeted.
In the shadows, the DGSI watches over our fundamental interests.
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Paris had already announced last Monday the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, already repeating the formula according to which their activities were "contrary" to French interests and specifying that the sanction was part of "a European approach".
The Quai d'Orsay told AFP that these six spies were added to this previous list.
Remarkable counterintelligence operation.
Congratulations to the agents of the DGSI who hindered a network of Russian clandestine agents who were working against our interests.
The agents involved will have to leave the national territory.
In the shadows, the DGSI watches over our fundamental interests
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) April 11, 2022
Many other European countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Greece or Croatia have massively expelled Russian diplomats since the start of the invasion of Ukraine .
The United States, for its part, sent home, in early March, 12 members of the Russian diplomatic mission to the UN.
In some cases, these expulsions were officially supposed to respond to the outbreak of war in Ukraine by Russian forces and the abuses for which they are accused by Westerners.
In several other cases, they were accompanied by accusations of espionage.
