On Monday, Russia announced the expulsion of two British diplomats from its embassy in Moscow, attributing the decision to allegations of spying. The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia issued a statement, reported by the state news agency RIA Novosti, claiming that the diplomats had provided false personal information while applying for entry into the country. Furthermore, the FSB alleged that they were involved in intelligence and subversive activities that posed a threat to Russia's security, although no evidence was presented to substantiate these claims.
The report from RIA Novosti detailed that the Russian authorities had decided to revoke the diplomats' accreditations, giving them a deadline of two weeks to leave the country. In a separate statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned a British embassy official, emphasizing that "Moscow will not tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence officers on Russian territory."
As of now, there has been no reaction from British authorities regarding the expulsions. This incident comes in the context of escalating tensions between the UK and Russia, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Last year, the FSB similarly accused seven British diplomats of spying, which resulted in six expulsions announced in September and one in November. The British government dismissed those accusations as "baseless."
The diplomatic spat has intensified following the UK's decision to revoke the accreditations of a Russian attaché and limit Moscow's diplomatic operations within the UK. In a reciprocal move, London expelled a Russian diplomat in November, citing the earlier expulsion. This tit-for-tat pattern has continued, with the UK expelling Russia's defense attaché in May 2024 over allegations of covert intelligence activities, leading to Russia expelling Britain's defense attaché shortly thereafter.
Expulsions of diplomats have become increasingly frequent since the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022. A report from the Russian news outlet RBC indicated that between early 2022 and October 2023, Western nations and Japan expelled a total of 670 Russian diplomats. In response, Moscow expelled 346 diplomats, marking the largest wave of diplomatic expulsions in over two decades.
The growing trend of mutual expulsions underscores the deteriorating relations between Western countries and Russia, characterized by deep suspicions and accusations of espionage. As geopolitical tensions continue to rise, both sides have demonstrated a willingness to leverage diplomatic personnel as instruments of leverage in their ongoing confrontations.
