Russia’s Federal Security Service has accused six British diplomats of spying and announced the decision to withdraw their accreditation. The FSB stated that the diplomats will be expelled, following allegations of involvement in intelligence-gathering and subversive activities. The expulsions coincide with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Washington for discussions with President Joe Biden, including Ukraine's request to use Western-supplied weapons against targets in Russia.
Starmer emphasized that Britain does not seek conflict with Russia, attributing the current situation to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. He reiterated support for Ukraine's right to self-defense and clarified that the intention is not to engage in conflict with Russia.
The FSB revealed that the diplomats were sent to Russia by a division of the U.K. Foreign Office with the alleged objective of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry withdrew their accreditation in response to what it deemed as unfriendly actions by London. The FSB warned of further expulsions if similar activities are detected among other diplomats.
Reports indicate that the diplomats had interactions with independent media and rights groups labeled as 'foreign agents' by Russian authorities. The British Embassy in Moscow and the Foreign Office have not yet commented on the situation.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova supported the FSB's assessments, accusing the diplomats of carrying out subversive actions against the Russian people. Expulsions of diplomats have become more frequent since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with both Western countries and Japan expelling Russian diplomats and Moscow reciprocating.
Last year, Western countries and Japan collectively expelled 670 Russian diplomats, while Moscow expelled 346 diplomats in response. This surge in expulsions represents a significant increase compared to the past two decades. In a previous incident, the U.K. expelled Russia's defense attaché in London and closed several Russian diplomatic properties over alleged espionage activities.
