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Russia announced on Thursday the expulsion of a British diplomat, alleging he was an undeclared officer within Britain’s intelligence apparatus. Moscow warned London that it would not tolerate such espionage activities on its soil. The FSB, Russia’s main intelligence agency succeeding the Soviet-era KGB, identified the diplomat as a second secretary at the Moscow embassy and claimed he was operating covertly for the British spy service. Russian media published photographs of the individual.
Russia has given the diplomat a two-week deadline to leave the country. Britain’s Foreign Office did not immediately respond to inquiries. To express their disapproval, Russia’s foreign ministry summoned Britain’s chargé d’affaires, Danae Dholakia, and issued a formal protest, emphasizing that Moscow will not allow undeclared British intelligence officers to operate within Russia’s borders. They also warned that any escalation from London could provoke a decisive retaliatory response, characterizing the situation as a serious breach.
Protesters gathered outside the foreign ministry, chanting slogans against Britain in front of the diplomatic vehicle carrying Dholakia. Tensions between Russia and Western countries have heightened amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, with both sides accusing each other of launching extensive espionage campaigns reminiscent of Cold War-era tensions.
Russia claims that agencies such as the CIA, Britain’s MI6, and France’s DGSE have intensified efforts to steal secrets, recruit operatives, and create discord within Russia. Meanwhile, Western intelligence officials allege that Russia’s FSB, SVR foreign intelligence service, and GRU military spy agency have carried out significant cyberattacks and sabotage initiatives across the West — allegations Moscow disputes.
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