Sweden expels 5 Russian Embassy staff on suspicion of spying

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden has informed Russia that five employees with the Russian Embassy in Stockholm have been asked to leave the country, saying they are suspected of spying. Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said Tuesday that their activities are “incompatible” with their diplomatic status. The move comes nearly two weeks after neighboring Norway said it was expelling 15 Russian diplomats from the country and called them spies. In April, Sweden expelled three Russian diplomats as several countries kicked out Russian diplomats. A year ago, Sweden expelled three other Russian Embassy employees, and the country’s domestic security agency earlier has said that “every third Russian diplomat in Sweden is an intelligence officer.”