Russia Expels British Diplomat Over Espionage Claims

The British Embassy in Moscow has been approached for a comment regarding the expulsion

Extreme Wordle News - Russia has expelled a British diplomat on charges of espionage, according to state media reports. The Russian Foreign Ministry, via spokesperson Maria Zakharova, confirmed the expulsion and stated that the British ambassador had been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow. Footage captured the ambassador's car arriving at the ministry for what seemed to be an official meeting.

The UK Foreign Office and British Embassy in Moscow have yet to release any official comment on the matter. However, Russian news agencies reported that the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) had identified the diplomat, whose photo was broadcasted on Russian television, as someone who had submitted false documentation and engaged in espionage and sabotage activities.

The diplomat in question was reportedly sent to replace one of six British diplomats expelled from Russia in August under similar espionage allegations. This expulsion is part of an ongoing pattern of deteriorating relations between the UK and Russia, which has worsened following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Diplomatic expulsions between the two nations have become more frequent since the outbreak of the war. For instance, British diplomat Capt Adrian Coghill was recently given just a week to leave Russia, shortly after the Russian defense attaché was expelled from London on espionage charges, accused of being an "undeclared military intelligence officer." The expulsion of diplomats continues to reflect the broader geopolitical tensions, especially following the UK's decision to lift restrictions on the use of British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles in attacks on Russian targets within Russia's borders.