Russian news agencies have cited purported Lithuanian plans to withdraw Vilnius's ambassador to Moscow and shut down its consulate in St. Petersburg next month over Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
They quoted Lithuanian national radio as saying a Lithuanian government resolution made public on May 12 describes the withdrawal of Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarunas on June 1 and the consulate's closure on June 7.
The decision to withdraw the ambassador was initially made by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on April 4.
He also said Lithuania had expelled Russia's ambassador to Vilnius, Aleksei Isakov, in response to reports that Russian forces killed dozens of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
Photographs showing the bodies of some of the dead civilians in Bucha, northwest edge of Kyiv, with their hands bound have shocked many and prompted calls for stepped-up sanctions against Russia and the criminal prosecution of the perpetrators.
The UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) voted overwhelmingly on May 12 to set up an investigation into allegations of abuses by Russian troops in areas of Ukraine where they have since withdrawn, leaving signs of torture, execution-style killings, and sexual violence, including in Bucha.
It cited the documentation by a UN team on the ground of apparent Russian atrocities.