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LONDON, Mar 20 - RIA Novosti, Maria Tabak. The expelled Russian diplomats and their families left the embassy in London, RIA Novosti correspondent reports.

A column of more than a dozen cars and minibuses went to the airport. All the employees of the embassy came out to conduct colleagues.

In total, London sends 23 embassy staff. This step was explained by the authorities as a possible "involvement of Russia" in the poisoning of the former GRU officer Sergei Skripal. Including family members, the United Kingdom will leave about eighty people.

Among those leaving are many children. Some diplomats carry pets with them.

Now they have already arrived at Stansted airport, where they will fly to Moscow by special flight. As reported, the Ambassador to London Alexander Yakovenko will come to the airport to personally say goodbye to diplomats.

British diplomats sent from Moscow in response, will return to their homeland in the coming days.

The Case of Skripal

Ex-GRU officer Sergei Skripal was granted asylum in the UK after an exchange of spies accused of espionage between Moscow and Washington in 2010.

Skrypal and his daughter Julia found on March 4 in an unconscious state in Salisbury. According to the British government, they were poisoned with a nerve agent allegedly produced in Russia.

London claims that Moscow is involved in poisoning, but there is still no evidence to support this version. British Prime Minister Teresa May announced a number of restrictive measures against Russia, including the deportation of 23 diplomats and the freezing of bilateral contacts at a high level.

In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared persona non grata 23 employees of the British Embassy, ​​withdrew consent to the opening of the Consulate General in St. Petersburg, and also announced the termination of the British Council.

Vladimir Putin said that Russia has no chemical weapons - it was destroyed under the supervision of international observers. He stressed that Moscow is ready to cooperate in the investigation, but for this there must be interest on the other hand.

Link: https://ria.ru/world/20180320/1516832244.html