Russia has expelled two British diplomats from its Moscow embassy on suspicion of espionage, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Monday. The second secretary of the embassy and the spouse of another diplomat were stripped of their accreditation, accused of providing false information and engaging in intelligence activities that threaten Russia's security.
The FSB, the main successor to the KGB, said it had uncovered an undeclared British intelligence presence operating under diplomatic cover. The agency vowed to continue combating foreign intelligence and subversive activities by all available means.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson dismissed the allegations as 'malicious and baseless', noting that this is not the first time Russia has made such accusations against British staff. The expulsion follows a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic moves between London and Moscow amid heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine.
In November 2024, Russia ordered a British diplomat to leave, accusing him of intelligence work. London responded by expelling a Russian diplomat in early March 2025. The latest expulsions come just days after Russia vowed retaliation for that action.
Relations have deteriorated further since 2006, when the UK accused Moscow of involvement in the assassination of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko in London. The British government has also expelled Russian diplomats and stripped diplomatic status from Russian-owned properties in recent months.
