Moscow expels Polish diplomats in spying row

Russia has expelled a number of Polish diplomats accusing them of activities "incompatible with their status" in response to expulsions of Russian diplomats by Warsaw, the foreign ministry said today.
The ministry confirmed Polish media reports that several Russian diplomats had been expelled earlier, "allegedly for activities incompatible with their status", a diplomatic phrase generally used to refer to spying.
"The Polish authorities indeed took such an unfriendly and absolutely groundless step," Moscow said.
"The Russian side took appropriate measures and a number of Polish diplomats have already left the territory of our country for activities incompatible with their status," the ministry said in a statement, without giving any further details.

In Brussels, Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna said that Warsaw considered Moscow's move a "symmetric response".
"For us, this affair is closed," he was quoted as saying by the PAP news agency.

The diplomatic row comes as Russia has made espionage allegations against citizens of several other nearby NATO member countries, heightening tensions as Moscow finds itself in increasing international isolation over its actions in Ukraine.
Russian television reported yesterday that a former member of the Latvian parliament, Aleksejs Holostovs, had been expelled from Russia for spying.
Russia has also charged an Estonian police officer with espionage and has held him in detention since September despite calls from Western leaders for his immediate release.