Russian Ambassador: There are Calls in British Parliament to Expel All Russians From UK

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian nationals in the United Kingdom sometimes face discrimination in schools and institutions possibly in response to calls by politicians to take drastic measures against them, Russian Ambassador in London Andrei Kelin said.

"Regarding the [Russian] citizens, we note attempts of discrimination, they indeed occur in schools, institutions. I would not say that they are widespread," Kelin told the Russian Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

According to the diplomat, the UK residents were not particularly interested in the Ukrainian crisis.

"After all, the Britons for the most part are not that interested in what is happening in Ukraine, compared to what they write about it in the newspapers," Kelin added.

He also said that there have been calls in the UK parliament to deliberate on deporting all Russian nationals, which amount to approximately 66,000, from the UK territory.

"In the parliament there are the most exotic calls, for example, to expel all ethnic Russians or to expel all Russian citizens. I have heard that," Kelin said.

Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine last Thursday in response to calls from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation was targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and that the civilian population was not in danger.

In return, the UK, the United States and European Union introduced sanctions targeting major Russian banks and high-ranking officials, including President Vladimir Putin, and closed their airspace for Russian aircraft. The sanctions have been joined by various countries across the world, which imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against Russia's most influential political and military officials.