Russia fired two British diplomats from the Moscow Embassy in Moscow for spies
Russia said on Monday it would expel two British diplomats in the Moscow embassy to monitor the charges.
Russia’s Federal Security Agency (FSB) said in a statement cited 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 suspected intelligence and subversive activities that threaten Russia’s security. It provides no evidence.
According to RIA Novosti’s report, it has been decided to revoke diplomat certification and be ordered to leave Russia within two weeks. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in another statement that it convened British embassy officials. It said: “Moscow will not tolerate undeclared British intelligence personnel’s activities on Russian territory.”
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British authorities did not respond immediately.
Last year, the FSB accused seven British diplomats of spying. Six deportations were announced in September and six times in November. Britain called these actions “basically unfounded.” The deportation followed tensions in the Ukrainian war after London decided to revoke the certificate attached to the Russian embassy and restricted Moscow’s diplomatic activities in the UK.
Last month, London expelled a Russian diplomat in response to the November eviction.
In May 2024, Britain expelled the Russian defense annex in London, accusing him of being an undeclared intelligence officer and shut down several of Britain’s Russian diplomatic properties, saying it was used as espionage. A few days later, Russia rewarded and expelled the British defense annex.
Since Moscow launched Ukraine in 2022, expulsion of diplomats – Western envoys in Russia and Russians have become increasingly common.
In 2023, Russian news media Royal Bank (RBC) said that Western countries and Japan expelled a total of 670 Russian diplomats between early 2022 and October 2023, while Moscow responded by expelling 346 diplomats. According to Royal Bank of Canada, that’s more than the last 20 years combined.
