Russia expels German diplomats in row over Berlin court ruling

Russia has expelled two German diplomats in response to a spat with Berlin over a German court's ruling that Moscow had ordered the 2019 assassination of an ex-Chechen commander in a Berlin park.

"The German ambassador was informed that two diplomatic employees of the German embassy in Russia were declared 'persona non grata' as a symmetrical response," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. 

It did not say when the German diplomats needed to leave Russia. 

The ministry added that it had registered a "strong protest" with the German envoy over Berlin's expulsion of two Russian diplomats last week.

Last week, judges in Berlin sentenced Russian national Vadim Krasikov, alias Vadim Sokolov, to life in jail after convicting him of gunning down Georgian national Tornike Kavtarashvili, 40, in a Berlin park in 2019.

READ MORE: German court convicts Russian in ‘state-ordered’ Berlin park killing

The murder was meant "as retaliation" for being a Kremlin opponent, a judge said.

Russia's foreign ministry said on Monday that Moscow "categorically denies the unfounded and divorced from reality accusations" that it was involved. 

Germany had already thrown out two Russian diplomats shortly after the murder in protest at Moscow's perceived lack of cooperation with the probe.

Russia denied any connection to the killing and responded with a tit-for-tat move.

Expultions to 'further strains ties'

Germany has said that Russia's expulsion of two of its diplomats would exacerbate the friction between the countries.

READ MORE:Germany kicks out Russian diplomats over Berlin murder

"This step is not surprising but is in the view of the German government completely unjustified," a German foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday following the Russia order against the two envoys. 

"Today's decision by the RussianFederation's foreign ministry further strains ties" between Berlin and Moscow, he added.