In a statement it said:

"On 14 of March Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko was summoned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office where he was informed that 23 diplomats were declared personae non gratae."

We consider this hostile action as totally unacceptable, unjustified and shortsighted.

All the responsibility for the deterioration of the Russia-UK relationship lies with the current political leadership of Britain.

Separately, RIA Novosti reported that the Russian embassy in the UK - whose staff is being expelled - called the move "unacceptable, unjustified and shortsighted."

As a reminder, the Kremlin has yet to retaliate in deed, instead of just verbally, with its own expulsion of UK diplomats, a move which will be coming shortly, prompting even more retaliation by the UK which warned earlier may next expel the Russian ambassador, leading in a total collapse of diplomatic relations between the two nations.