Russia expels 2 British diplomats from the Embassy to Moscow over spying applications

Russia said on Monday that he expelled two British diplomats based in the Embassy in Moscow for spy charges.

The Federal Security Service of Russia, or FSB, said in a statement quoted by the State News Agency RIA Novosti that the two diplomats provided false personal data, while seeking permission to enter the country and engaged in alleged information and subversive information that threatened Russia’s security. He did not provide any evidence.

According to the RIA Novosti report, a decision was made to revoke diplomat’s credentures and they ordered to leave Russia in two weeks. The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated in a separate statement that he called an official of the British Embassy. “Moscow will not tolerate the activities of undeclared British information officers on the Russian territory,” he said.

There was no immediate response from the UK authorities.

FSB last year accused seven British spy diplomats. Six expulsions were announced in Septemberand one more in November. The UK has called the movements at that time “without basis”. Expulsions came against the background of increasing tensions on the Ukraine war and after London decided to revoke the credentials of an attached to the Russian Embassy and limit the diplomatic activities of Moscow in the UK.

Last month, London expelled a Russian diplomat In response to the November expulsion.

In May 2024, UK has expelled Russia’s defense attachment In London, claiming to be an undeclared information officer and has closed several Russian diplomatic properties in the UK, which he said are used for espionage. Days later Russia was mutually and expelled the Britain’s defense attachment.

Expulsions of diplomats – both Western sent working in Russia and Russians in the West – have become more and more frequent since Moscow has launched its invasion in Ukraine in 2022.

In 2023, Russian News Outlet RBC said that Western countries and Japan expelled a total of 670 Russian diplomats between the beginning of 2022 and October 2023, while Moscow responded by expulsion 346 diplomats. According to the RBC, this has been more than in the last 20 years combined.