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The
expulsions amount to a quarter of Russian diplomats currently
accredited in Oslo, the Norwegian government said.
It is the latest instance of a Western nation expelling Russian
diplomats since the beginning of Moscow's full-scale invasion of
Ukraine last year. So far this year, Estonia, the Netherlands
and Austria have also expelled Russian diplomats.
Norway also expelled three Russians in April 2022.
"Their activities pose a threat to Norway," Norwegian Foreign
Minister Huitfeldt told a news conference.
"We have followed their activities over time. They have
increased since the invasion of Ukraine."
The officers concerned must leave Norway shortly, she added.
The Russian foreign ministry said Moscow would respond to the
expulsions, state-owned news agency TASS reported, without
elaborating. Officials at Russia's Oslo embassy were not
immediately available for comment when contacted by Reuters.
Norway, a member of the NATO military alliance, shares a border
with Russia in the Arctic.
The expulsions could further complicate the process of
transferring the chair of the Arctic Council, a multilateral
body in which Arctic nations discuss issues affecting the polar
region.
Moscow currently holds the chair but Norway is due to take over
on May 11 and Oslo had said it would prioritise a smooth
transition.
Huitfeldt said it was too early to say whether the expulsions
would affect the Arctic Council transition.
The Nordic country still seeks to maintain normal diplomatic
relations with Russia, and Russian diplomats are welcome in
Norway, Huitfeldt said.
(Writing by Terje Solsvik and Gwladys Fouche, editing by Emelia
Sithole-Matarise and Bernadette Baum)
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