Russia bans 52 Irish officials from entry

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that 52 senior Irish officials are barred from entering Russia in response to Dublin's anti-Russian policy, reported Xinhua.

Among the blacklisted are Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, several ministers and parliament members, the ministry said in a statement.

"Acting under the orders of Brussels, Ireland is carrying out an aggressive anti-Russian propaganda campaign and is pursuing a course to curtail bilateral cooperation to the detriment of its own interests," the ministry said.