Latvia, Czech Republic, Estonia expel Russian diplomats after UK nerve agent attack

Latvia said on Monday it would expel one Russian diplomat out of solidarity with Britain over a nerve agent attack against a former Russian double agent in England.

Britain has blamed Russia for the attack, a charge Moscow denies.

"In solidarity with UK over #SalisburyAttack and for violation of Vienna convention Latvia joins many #EU countries expelling Russian diplomats as well as blacklisting a Russian citizen," Edgars Rinkevics, Latvia's foreign minister, said on Twitter.

The Czech Republic will expel three Russian diplomats, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Monday, after the European Union backed Britain in blaming Moscow for the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England.

The EU last week collectively condemned the attack and declared in a Brussels summit statement that it was "highly likely" Russia was responsible. Several other European countries and the United States announced expulsions on Monday.

Moscow has denied it was behind the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

Estonia said on Monday it would expel Russia's defence attache in the country over a nerve agent attack in Britain, which London has blamed on Moscow.

"This afternoon we called in the Russian ambassador to whom we gave a note that the defence attache at the Russian Embassy should leave the country," Foreign Minister Sven Mikser told a news conference.

"His actions are not compatible with the Vienna Convention."