Ukraine to expel 19 Russians for espionage - security chief

All officers from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) stationed with the Russian Black Sea Fleet must leave Ukraine after December 13, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, has said in an interview with the BBC Ukrainian Service.

He said that the Russian side had been officially informed of this.

Nalyvaichenko said that there were currently 19 FSB officers at the Russian Black Sea Fleet engaged in intelligence activities.

He said that all functions of the officers, as stipulated by Ukranian law, including maintaining the safety of Russian sailors, have been handed over to SBU military intelligence units in Sevastopol and Simferopol.

Nalyvaichenko told Russian newspaper Nezavizimaya Gazeta earlier that Ukraine could protect the Russian Black Sea Fleet while on on Ukranian territory itself.

He also said that the SBU and the FSB were reliable partners, and that their cooperation was regulated by special agreement.