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April 13 (UPI) -- Norway said Thursday it has ordered 15 Russian intelligence officers to leave the country for espionage. "The 15 intelligence officers have been engaging in activities that are not compatible with their diplomatic status," Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt said in a statement.
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According to Norway's Foreign Affairs ministry, the government decision is a response to "the changed security situation in Europe, which has led to an increased intelligence threat from Russia."
The 15 intelligence officers have been declared persona non grata and will leave Norway soon.
Huitfeldt stressed that Norway is trying to maintain normal diplomatic relations with Russia.
"But we will not accept that diplomatic missions are misused for the purposes of carrying out covert intelligence activities," Huitfeldt said in a statement.
The Norwegian government said it had been monitoring the activities of the Russian intelligence officers and noted an increasing Russian intelligence threat.
Three Russian intelligence officers working as diplomats were expelled by Norway in April 2022.
Several other European nations have taken similar action to root out as many Russians as possible from using diplomatic cover to spy.
Poland said it broke up a Russian spy ring in March that targeted railway traffic shipping weapons and other aid to Ukraine.
In February 2022, the United States expelled 12 Russians from the country's mission to the United Nations for alleged espionage.
In 2021, an Italian Navy Captain was detained and two Russian diplomats expelled after being caught in the act of an espionage exchange, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry.
NATO ordered eight Russians from the Russian mission to NATO to leave in October 2021, alleging they were undeclared intelligence officers.
