Russia Expels Six British Diplomats Amid Rising Tensions Over Ukraine
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday that it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow, accusing them of espionage and sabotage. This move reflects the Kremlin’s frustration with London’s support for Ukraine.
The expulsions were announced just hours before scheduled talks in Washington between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden, which were to focus on further support for Ukraine and the potential use of Western missiles against targets in Russia.
President Vladimir Putin had warned on Thursday that allowing Ukraine to use Western long-range missiles against Russian territory would escalate the conflict, making the West a direct participant in the fighting.
The FSB, the successor to the Soviet KGB, claimed to have evidence that a British Foreign Office department in London was orchestrating efforts to escalate the political and military situation and was working to ensure Russia’s defeat in the Ukraine conflict.
In a statement, the FSB said that the activities of the British diplomats in Moscow were deemed a threat to Russian security. “The activities of British diplomats sent to Moscow were found to be threatening to the security of the Russian Federation,” the FSB stated.
The six diplomats, who were named on Russian state TV, were also featured in surveillance footage released to the media. The FSB said it had evidence of the diplomats engaging in intelligence activities, including recruiting Russian teenagers and organizing provocations.
The Izvestia newspaper reported that the British diplomats had been involved in efforts to create divisions within Russian society and were working with activists to undermine Russian stability. The FSB also alleged that British diplomats were collaborating with Russian opposition figures and involved with MI6, the British intelligence agency.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the British embassy’s activities, claiming they violated diplomatic conventions and were aimed at undermining Russian society. “It is not just a matter of formal non-compliance but of subversive actions intended to harm our people,” Zakharova said on Telegram.
The British embassy in Moscow and the UK government have not yet responded to requests for comment from Reuters.
