MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has stripped a Moscow correspondent for Bulgarian National Radio of accreditation and expelled him after Sofia kicked out a Russian journalist on national security grounds.
Russia’s foreign ministry said that Angel Grigorov was told to leave Moscow after Sofia expelled Alexander Gatsak, a correspondent for the state-owned Rossiyskaya Gazeta, whom Bulgaria said posed “a threat to national security”.
Russia said it had been “forced to take reflective measures against the chief correspondent of Bulgarian National Radio in Moscow” and ordered him to “hand over his accreditation and leave Russia.”
Moscow said it was ready to consider allowing Bulgarian National Radio back if Sofia accredited a correspondent from Rossiyskaya Gazeta again.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge)