Russia expels British diplomat it accuses of spying
Russia has expelled a British diplomat who it says is an unnamed officer in Britain’s intelligence services and warned London that Moscow will not tolerate such espionage on its territory.
The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said the British diplomat was the second secretary of the Moscow embassy and that he was working undercover for Britain’s spy service.
Russian media published photos of the diplomat on Thursday.
Russia said he was given two weeks to leave Russia.
The UK Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russia’s foreign ministry called on Britain’s chargé d’affaires in Russia, Danae Dholakia, to issue a formal protest about the situation.
In the statement made by the foreign ministry, “It was once again emphasized that Moscow will not tolerate the activities of unidentified British intelligence officers in Russia.” The statement was included.
“A warning was also made that if London escalates the situation, the Russian side will give a decisive ‘mirror’ reaction.”
Protesters at the Foreign Office chanted anti-British slogans in front of the British diplomatic car carrying the chargé d’affaires.
Amid the war in Ukraine, Russia and the West have repeatedly accused each other of launching espionage campaigns of an intensity not seen since the depths of the Cold War.
Russia says the CIA, Britain’s MI6 and France’s DGSE have stepped up attempts to steal secrets, recruit Russians and sow discord within Russia.
Western European spymasters say the FSB, Russia’s foreign intelligence service SVR and the GRU military intelligence service have carried out major cyberattacks and sabotage campaigns in the Western world, but Moscow denies this.
