British diplomat expelled from Russia over spying claims
26 November 2024, 12:43 | Updated: 26 November 2024, 12:59
Russia has expelled a British diplomat after accusing him of espionage.
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The diplomat worked at the embassy in Moscow and had replaced one of six British intelligence officers who were expelled in August, news agency Tass reported citing Russian Security Service the FSB.
His accreditation has been revoked, meaning he must leave the country.
State news agencies reported the country's FSB security service accuse the diplomat of providing false information on his documents and carrying out espionage and sabotage activities.
Russia said said it had found evidence the diplomat was involved in "reconnaissance and subversive work that threatens the security of the Russian Federation."
There has been no immediate comment from the UK Foreign Office or the British Embassy in Moscow.
Relations between Britain and Russia have plunged to post-Cold War lows since the start of the Ukraine war.
Britain has joined successive waves of sanctions against Russia and provided arms to Ukraine.
Russia has refused to renew the accreditation of many UK diplomats in Moscow amid icy relations over Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, and British assistance to Kyiv.
Russia said Ukraine fired British Storm Shadow cruise missiles at its territory last week for the first time.
President Vladimir Putin cited that, and the launching of U.S. ATACMS ballistic missiles by Ukraine, as the reason Russia responded by launching a new hypersonic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Nov. 21.
