Russia has expelled a British diplomat on suspicion of espionage, as confirmed by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The ministry received information linking the diplomat to the British secret service. In response, the UK Foreign Office dismissed the accusations as unfounded.
The Russian ministry summoned British charge d’affaires Danae Dholakia to convey a strong protest and inform her of the diplomat’s expulsion. The unnamed diplomat has been stripped of accreditation and given two weeks to leave Russia. The ministry warned against the presence of undeclared British intelligence officers, threatening decisive action if London escalates the situation.
In recent years, both Russia and the UK have expelled each other’s diplomats periodically, particularly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Last year, Russia expelled two British diplomats over alleged espionage activities. The British embassy in Moscow refuted the claims, stating that such accusations were baseless and malicious.
Sergey Karaganov, head of Russia’s Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, recently warned that if Russia faced defeat in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin might resort to using nuclear weapons, resulting in catastrophic consequences for Europe. Karaganov criticized his government for being too patient with Europe and indicated that severe consequences could follow if European support for the war persisted.