Norway ordered the expulsion of 15 “intelligence officers” from the Russian embassy in Oslo on Thursday, further straining relations between the two countries.
Moscow promised to retaliate to what it called a “extremely unfriendly” move.
“The 15 intelligence officers have been engaging in activities that are not compatible with their diplomatic status,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said in a statement.
According to the statement, the “officers” had been declared “personae non gratae,” and must leave “shortly.”
Speaking at a press conference, Huitfeldt said their activities had been monitored “over time,” but she declined to elaborate on what activities had spurred the decision.
According to the Verdens Gang (VG) newspaper, the officers are believed to have worked for the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR and the military intelligence GRU.
The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) in charge of counter-intelligence, declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
“The reaction is strongly negative,” Russian embassy spokesman Timur Chekanov told AFP in an email.
“This is another extremely unfriendly step, which will be followed with a response measure,” he added.
