Ukrainian consul Oleksandr Sosonyuk was detained in St. Petersburg during his meeting with a Russian citizen, RIA Novosti reports with reference Russia’s Federal security Service (FSB).
According to the FSB, the Ukrainian diplomat allegedly tried to obtain information from the databases of Russian law enforcement agencies, which is ‘clearly hostile to Russia’. They also announced ‘taking measures in accordance with international law’ against him,
In turn, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident ‘another provocation against the background of Russia’s destabilising actions’.
“Russian law enforcement officers apprehended an employee of the Consulate General of Ukraine in St. Petersburg for several hours. Now he is in the Ukrainian diplomatic mission. The circumstances of the detention are being clarified. In the near future, the Ukrainian side will opt for the form of response to this provocation, taking into account the existing practice,” Oleh Nikolenko, Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told news agency Interfax Ukraine.
The detention of the Ukrainian consul has occurred amid the current escalation of the tension between Kyiv and Moscow. Over the recent days, Russia has been pulling troops up to the Ukrainian border, which is a grave concern for the Ukrainian authorities as well as Western leaders.
