Russia announced that expanded the list of German officials barred from entering the country in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Moscow in October.
“This decision was taken in response to the sanctions imposed by the European Union in connection with the alleged Russian traces found in the violation of the computer systems of the German Parliament,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The European Union (EU) has imposed sanctions on military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov and another Russian official, accusing him of spying on the German chancellor’s e-mail during a cyber attack on the German parliament in 2015.
The Russian ministry did not mention in its statement the names of the German officials who were sanctioned. It was noted, however, that “according to the principle of reciprocity in diplomacy, these officials selected for the Russian list are high-ranking members of the German security and intelligence services under the German Ministry of Defense.”
The ministry also stressed that in the event that Germany continues its policy of confrontation, Moscow reserves the right to respond with further measures.
