Japan expels a group of Russian diplomats and warns the ambassador
Japan announced on Friday that it would expel eight Russian diplomats and officials, deeming Moscow's actions in Ukraine "totally unacceptable" and a violation of international law.
"As a result of our comprehensive assessment, we have requested the expulsion of eight diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Japan, and officials from the Office of the Trade Representative of the Russian Federation," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hikariko Ono.
The spokeswoman added that the Russian ambassador to Tokyo, Mikhail Yuryevich Galuzin, was informed of the decision during a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Mori.
The ambassador was told that the killing of civilians is a "grave violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime," according to Ono.
"This is totally unacceptable, and we strongly condemn it," she added.
The expulsion decision does not affect Galusin, according to officials.
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