Russia to expel nine persons working in Finland's diplomatic missions to Russia and announced closure of Finland's Consulate General in St Petersburg

On 6 July 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation notified Ambassador of Finland Antti Helanterä of forthcoming expulsions. Russia also announced that it would cancel the authorisation of Finland's Consulate General in St Petersburg as of 1 October.

Russia will expel a total of nine persons working at the Embassy of Finland in Moscow and the Consulate General in St Petersburg.

According to Russia, the announced expulsions are a countermeasure in response to Finland’s decision, made on Tuesday 6 June, to expel nine members of the personnel at the Embassy of Russia in Helsinki. These persons were engaged in intelligence gathering activities and expelled from Finland based on the fact that they acted in a manner contrary to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The expulsion decision made by Russia has no relation to the activities of the persons who have worked in Finland's diplomatic missions in Russia.

The identity of the embassy staff to be expelled from Russia is not public information. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will not provide further information about this matter.

Cancellation of the authorisation of Finland's Consulate General in St Petersburg and difficulties in the diplomatic missions' bank accounts

At the same time, Russia announced that it would withdraw its support for the activities of Finland's Consulate General in St Petersburg as of 1 October 2023. Finland will prepare a measure that will be reciprocal in nature.

At the meeting with the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Helanterä called for a rapid solution to the ongoing banking problems faced by Finland’s diplomatic missions in Russia.