The Russian Foreign Ministry today summoned Bulgaria’s ambassador to Moscow, Atanas Krustin, to protest the expulsion from Sofia of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Metochion in the Bulgarian capital, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Last Thursday, Bulgaria expelled the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia and two Belarusian priests, accusing them of serving Moscow’s geopolitical interests. The decision was described as “evil” by the Russian embassy in Sofia.
A member of the European Union and NATO, a Slavic and Orthodox country, Bulgaria is historically and culturally close to Russia. However, relations between the two countries have been strained since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In June 2022, Sofia announced the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats.
