Russia Accuses Six British Diplomats of Spying, Orders Expulsion
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused six British diplomats of espionage and ordered their expulsion from the country, The Associated Press reports.
The move comes as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Washington for talks with President Joe Biden, which will include Ukraine’s request for Western weapons to target Russian territory.
In a statement, the FSB said that the diplomats were sent to Russia by a division of the UK Foreign Office dedicated to “inflicting a strategic defeat” on Russia. They were allegedly involved in “intelligence-gathering and subversive activities,” including meetings with independent media and NGOs labeled as “foreign agents” by the Russian government.
Russian state television reported that the decision to expel the diplomats was made following the FSB’s investigation.
Starmer, en route to the United States, has said that London does not seek conflict with Moscow.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described the expelled diplomats’ actions as “subversive” and aimed at harming Russian citizens. She added that the British Embassy had exceeded the bounds outlined by the Vienna Conventions.
The expulsions mark a continuation of a trend of diplomatic expulsions between Russia and Western countries since the start of the Ukrainian conflict in February 2022. According to Russian news outlet RBC, Western countries and Japan have expelled a total of 670 Russian diplomats since the beginning of 2022, while Moscow has expelled 346 in response.
