Russia expel British diplomat for ‘espionage and sabotage’ as relations with Moscow continue to plummet

Russia has expelled a British diplomat after accusing him of espionage, it was revealed today, amid frosty relations between East and West over Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

The FSB security service alleged that the diplomat had “deliberately provided false information when he was allowed to enter our country, thereby violating Russian law.”

The TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying the ministry had summoned British Ambassador Nigel Casey over the allegations.

According to the FSB, the British diplomat was a replacement for one of six British diplomats expelled in August, also on espionage charges. conducted espionage and sabotage activities while on Russian territory.

“A decision was taken to revoke his accreditation and he was ordered to leave Russia within two weeks,” the FSB said.

“Signs of intelligence and subversive work that threaten the security of the Russian Federation have been revealed,” a statement added, without giving details of the accusation.

There was no immediate comment from Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The British embassy in Moscow did not respond to a request for comment.

Relations between Britain and Russia have fallen to post-Cold War lows since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Britain has joined successive waves of sanctions against Russia and supplied weapons to Ukraine.

Russia has refused to renew the accreditation of many British diplomats in Moscow amid frosty relations over Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and British aid to Kiev.

Russia said Ukraine fired British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into its territory for the first time last week.

President Vladimir Putin cited this, and Ukraine’s launch of US ATACMS ballistic missiles, as the reason Russia responded by launching a new hypersonic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on November 21.