Russian ambassador to Ireland to appear before Oireachtas over naval exercises
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Russian ambassador to Ireland to appear before Oireachtas over naval exercises

The Russian ambassador to Ireland is to appear before the Oireachtas foreign affairs committee this week.

It comes after a recent controversy saw Russia move its planned naval exercises away from Ireland's excessive economic zone (EEZ)

Fishermen in the south of the country had been warned to avoid the area during the exercises, leading to plans to peacefully disrupt the exercises, with government officials also expressing concern about them.

The consternation led to the exercises being moved outside of Ireland's EEZ, but experts still believe it will take place above vital sea bed communication cables.

Yury Filatov, who said that moving the exercises was a "gesture of good-will" will now appear before the Oireachtas on Wednesday at 5.30pm after an invitation was extended to him by Chairman of the Committee Charlie Flanagan.

It is expected that the growing tensions in Ukraine will be discussed alongside the exercises, after the Ukrainian ambassador last week called on Ireland and other EU member states to impose sanctions on Russia.

The circumstances leading to a photo of Mr Filatov with the Defence Forces chief of staff, Lieut Gen Seán Clancy, at McKee barracks in Dublin this month will likely also be brought up.

The photo was shared on the Russian embassy's social media channels, leading to criticism from Minister for Defence Simon Coveney at a meting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party last week.