Croatia on Monday told 24 Russian embassy staff to leave over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the resulting "brutal aggression," the foreign ministry said in a statement, following similar moves by other EU countries.

The 24 individuals included 18 diplomats, it said.

The ministry said that the Russian ambassador was summoned in a protest over the "brutal aggression on Ukraine and numerous crimes committed (there)."

"The Russian party was informed about the reduction of administrative-technical staff of the Russian Federation's embassy in Zagreb," the statement said.

The European Union on Friday adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine that includes a ban on coal imports, new restrictions on trade and the blacklisting of several oligarchs close to the Kremlin.

Russia says it launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24 to demilitarize and "denazify" the country.

Ukraine and the West saw that as a pretext for an unprovoked invasion.