A NATO official announced on Wednesday that intergovernmental military alliance has withdrawn the accreditation of eight members of Russia’s mission to the alliance who were “undeclared Russian intelligence officers”.

A senior Russian lawmaker said Moscow would retaliate, the Interfax news agency reported.

“We can also confirm that we have reduced the number of positions which the Russian Federation can accredit to NATO down to 10,” the NATO official said.

Also read: COVID deaths in Russia surpass 900 a day for first time

NATO, in addition, reduced the number of positions that Russia can accredit people for at the organisation from 20 to 10, the official said. While no immediate explanation for the same was given, the decision is set to take affect at the end of the month.

There has been an increasing strain in relations between NATO and Russia have ever since Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014. The major causes of them being at odds with each other are Russia’s nuclear missile development, aerial intrusions into NATO airspace and the buzzing of allied ships by fighter planes.

“NATO’s policy towards Russia remains consistent. We have strengthened our deterrence and defence in response to Russia’s aggressive actions, while at the same time we remain open for a meaningful dialogue.”

Also read: Russian crew arrive at International Space Station to shoot first film in orbit

“NATO proposed to hold another meeting of the NATO-Russia Council over 18 months ago, and that proposal stands. The ball is in Russia’s court,” the official said.

Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of Russian parliament, said that Moscow would not necessarily retaliate in kind, as per reports.

He further dismissed the accusations against the Russian diplomats as baseless and warned that NATO’s move ahead could perennially strain the relations more.

Leonid Slutsky also told the Interfax news agency that Moscow might respond with “asymmetric” retaliatory measures. He, however, did not elaborate on what those measures might be.