Russia Expels Six British Diplomats Over Espionage Allegations

Russia has expelled six British diplomats, accusing them of espionage and involvement in efforts to destabilize the country.

This development was confirmed by the Federal Security Service (FSB). According to the FSB, the United Kingdom has been actively engaged in escalating global tensions and undermining Russia’s internal stability.

The agency claimed to have obtained "documents confirming London’s coordination of the escalation of the international military-political situation."

The FSB specifically pointed fingers at the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate (EECAD), alleging that it is spearheading "subversive policies" aimed at delivering a "strategic defeat" to Russia.

The FSB noted that after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the EECAD transformed into an intelligence service working against Moscow, leading to the conclusion that British diplomats operating under its umbrella posed a "security threat."

In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry, in collaboration with other departments, revoked the accreditation of six employees from the British Embassy’s political department in Moscow.

Officials stated that these diplomats had engaged in activities "showing signs of intelligence and subversive work" and demanded the early termination of their missions in Russia.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova supported the FSB’s assessment, telling TASS that British diplomats had been involved in "actions aimed at harming our people." As of now, the British government has yet to respond to these serious allegations.

This incident further strains the already tense relations between Russia and the UK, which have been deteriorating since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict. Both nations have engaged in multiple rounds of diplomatic expulsions and sanctions.

In February, the FSB also accused the British Council, a UK cultural organization, of gathering intelligence for Ukraine by using refugees in the UK to obtain military and political information from contacts in Russia’s Kherson Region.