The Russian diplomats expelled by Croatia have until April 25 to leave the country, Ambassador Andrey Nesterenko told the Rossiya-24 broadcaster.

They have been given until April 25 to leave the country, the Russian state TASS news agency quoted the ambassador as saying.

“That is a serious blow to our bilateral relations because the expelled diplomats are upstanding people,” he said.

Croatia on Monday said that it would expel 18 Russian diplomats and six members of the administrative and technical staff.

By doing so, Croatia has joined a number of European countries that have done the same “due to the brutal Russian aggression against Ukraine,” the Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS on Monday that Russia would respond accordingly, from which it can be concluded that Russia is preparing a reciprocal measure.