Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Federal Security Service (FSB), that Russian authorities have ordered a British diplomat to leave the country within two weeks, citing traces of his espionage activities. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesman said on Tuesday that London rejects Russia's claims.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement that the British diplomat gave false information about himself when applying for entry into the country.
The FSB announced that the diplomat was sent to Moscow to replace “one of six British intelligence officers who were expelled from Russia in August this year.” The service claims to have discovered “traces of intelligence activity” that indicate a “threat to the security of the Russian Federation.”
Russian agencies reported that the British ambassador was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: “This is not the first time the government has made malicious and unfounded allegations against our staff”, adding that London's response “will come in due course”.
Relations between Great Britain and Russia
Relations between Britain and Russia have deteriorated since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and are now at their worst since the end of the Cold War. London joined the sanctions against the Kremlin and gave weapons to Kyiv.
Last week, in the wake of Ukraine's first attack on Russian territory using British missiles, Andrei Kielin, Russia's ambassador to London, announced that Britain had “direct support” in the war.
Vladimir Putin announced that Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles, as well as US ATACMS missiles in attacks on Russian territory, was the reason for the launch of a new hypersonic missile in the city of Dnipro in Ukraine.
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