Moscow declared 27 employees of the Spanish embassy persona non grata following the expulsion of French and Italian diplomats, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The agency summoned Ambassador Marcos Gomez Martinez and protested to him because Madrid decided to expel 27 employees of Russian foreign missions in Spain.

“As a response, 27 employees of the Spanish Embassy in Moscow and the Spanish Consulate General in St. Petersburg have been declared persona non grata. They must leave the territory of the country within seven days from the date of delivery of the corresponding note to the ambassador,” the statement says.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the unfriendly step of the Spanish authorities would have a negative impact on relations with Russia.