Putin dismissed Russian ambassadors to Latvia and Estonia from their posts

"To release Vanin Mikhail Valentinovich from the duties of an Extraordinary and The Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Latvia", - is stated in the first presidential decree of March 31. "To release Vladimir Georgievich Lipayev from the duties of an Extraordinary and The Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to The Republic of Estonia", - is said in the second presidential decree.

Vladimir Lipayev has been the Russian ambassador to Estonia since December 2021. On January 23, the authorities of this country announced the expulsion of the diplomat. He had to leave the country before February 7. The decision to expel him was made after Russia expelled Estonian Ambassador Margus Laidre on January 23. The Estonian ambassador was expelled after a decrease in the level of diplomatic relations between Russia and Estonia and a reduction in the number of Russian diplomats in Estonia. In early February, Vladimir Lipayev left Estonia.

Mikhail Vanin has served as the Russian ambassador to Latvia since the end of September 2021. The Latvian government has ordered the Russian ambassador to leave the country by February 24, 2023. Before that, the head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry, Edgar Rinkevich, said that the country was reducing the level of diplomatic relations with Russia in solidarity with Estonia.