Croatia ordered the departure of 24 Russian embassy personnel on Monday in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing “brutal aggression,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, echoing similar steps by other EU nations.
According to the report, 18 of the 24 people were diplomats.
The Russian ambassador was called, according to the ministry, in protest of the “brutal attack on Ukraine and multiple crimes perpetrated (there).”
“The Russian party was informed about the reduction of administrative-technical staff of the Russian Federation’s embassy in Zagreb,” the statement said.
The European Union on Friday adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine that includes a ban on coal imports, new restrictions on trade and the blacklisting of several oligarchs close to the Kremlin.
Russia says it launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine on Feb. 24 to demilitarize and “denazify” the country.
Ukraine and the West saw that as a pretext for an unprovoked invasion.