Russia has declares employee of Ukrainian embassy in Moscow a persona non grata. The diplomat must leave the territory of the Russian Federation by the end of the day on April 30.

This was reported by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russian Foreign Ministry said it was a response to the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from Ukraine.

“In connection with the unfriendly actions of the Ukrainian side, which on April 19 declared persona non grata an employee of the embassy of the Russian Federation in Kyiv, and on the basis of reciprocity for activities incompatible with diplomatic status, an employee of the Embassy of Ukraine in Russia was declared persona non grata," the statement said.

The diplomat must leave Russia on April 30. The corresponding diplomatic note was sent tothe Embassy of Ukraine in Moscow.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also noted that "in case ofin case of continuing hostile actions against employees of Russian diplomatic and consular missions in Ukraine on the basis of reciprocity, additional measures will be taken against the personnel of the Ukrainian Embassy, consulates-General and consulates in Russia.

According to Interfax-Ukraine, in response, Ukraine will also order the expulsion of a Russian diplomat, as was stated by Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine.

"Such a decision only confirms the course chosen by the Russian Federation to further aggravate with Ukraine. Our state's response to this provocation will not slow down. In the near future, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will announce the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from the territory of Ukraine on the principle of reciprocity," he said.

According to Nilolenko, the expulsion of an employee of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Russian Federation is a provocation against the employees of Ukrainian diplomatic institutions in Russia.

"The announcement of the diplomat of the Embassy of Ukraine in Moscow persona non grata is devoid of logic, has no reason," Nikolenko said.