Japan on Wednesday followed through on two of its measures to punish Russia for invading Ukraine, as it expelled diplomats and took legislative steps to formally revoke Moscow’s favorable trading status.
As Moscow’s war against Ukraine continues, eight officials accused of spying on Japan left Tokyo's Haneda Airport with their families on a chartered plane arranged by the Russian government.
Among the eight are diplomats and staffers who worked at the Russian Embassy in Tokyo, as well as officials from the Office of the Trade Representative of Russia in Japan. The ousted group is believed to be responsible for intelligence-gathering in Japan, and included several mid-ranked government officials that Japanese police had been watching. Ambassador Mikhail Garuzin was not among them.