MADRID, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Spain will expel 27 Russian diplomats and embassy staff in the next few days, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said here on Tuesday.

       Albares told journalists that Yuri Korchagin, the Russian Federation's ambassador in Madrid, was not included on the list of those being expelled as Spain aims to keep the channels of negotiation open with Russia.

       Spain is thus following in the footsteps of a number of European countries that have announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats.