Estonia's foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu announced the expulsion of 21 Russian diplomats and embassy staff in order to reach parity between diplomatic personnel between Russia and Estonia on Wednesday.
The number of positions at Russia's embassy in Tallinn and Estonia's diplomatic mission in Moscow would now be equal, the foreign ministry added.
The expelled individuals have been given until the end of the month to leave Estonia.
"There are no grounds for the current size of the Russian embassy," said Reinsalu.
The Russian embassy in Tallinn will be reduced to eight diplomatic positions and 15 administrative, technical, and service staff members.
Last April, Russia ordered the Estonian consulates in St. Petersburg and Pskov to close and declared their staff
persona non grata, after Estonia expelled Russian diplomats over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
