On the afternoon of May 14, 2021, the Russian Ambassador to the Republic of North Macedonia Sergey Aleksandrovic Bazdikin was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia where he was advised that one of his "diplomats" had been declared a Person Non-Grata and that he had another few hours to leave the country. 

The news was given to Bazdikin by a Foreign Ministry official in accordance with diplomatic protocol. The reason for declaring Person Non-Grata has been described due to actions inconsistent with the conduct expected of a foreign diplomat serving in a host country. 

The Government of North Macedonia is showing vigilance in safeguarding its sovereignty from Russian behavior and aggression in the country. The decision marks the first time that Macedonia's security institutions and political leadership have independently declared a Russian "diplomat" a person Non-Grata. 

North Macedonia had taken measures in 2018 against the "diplomacy", immediately after the scandal of Skripal poisoning in Great Britain, however, this decision was taken in solidarity with Great Britain, the USA and the EU.

The actions of the newly declared "Non-Grata" diplomat have not been made public, however, it is worth noting the recent actions of European states to detect espionage groups in their countries, and consequently, the announcement of many Russian intelligence officers as Non-Grata persons. 

Finally, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic uncovered an espionage operation carried out by the Russian GRU Service. In the Czech Republic, it was discovered that GRU Agents had sabotaged weapons depots that led to the death of 2 Czech citizens. In Bulgaria, too, GRU agents attempted to build a spy network to report on NATO activities, but it was discovered.

(Source: Almakos)