The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday the expulsion of the Estonian ambassador and the downgrading of diplomatic relations between the two countries to the charge d'affaires, accusing Tallinn of "hostility to Russia."
The move came in response to Estonia's expulsion earlier this month of 21 Russian diplomats and other employees of the Russian embassy.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had summoned the Estonian ambassador, M.
Leder and handed him a stern protest against the actions of the Estonian authorities.
The statement added that the Estonian ambassador had been informed that he had to leave Russia before February 7.
The statement accused the Estonian leadership of deliberately destroying relations with Russia in various fields, in addition to spreading hatred and sowing hostility to Russia in the country's political circles.
Relations between Russia and its neighbor Estonia - the former Soviet republic and current member of NATO - have been strained by the war in Ukraine.
A few days ago, the three Baltic states, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, called on Germany to provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, in order to "stop Russian aggression and help it quickly restore peace in Europe."
Last October, the Estonian parliament described the Russian regime as a "terrorist" and the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism.