The British government said it is expelling a Russian diplomat in retaliation for Russia doing the same to a UK diplomat earlier this week.
Russia had accused two British diplomats of spying on Monday, claims the UK Foreign Office dismissed as ‘baseless’. They were given two weeks to leave.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: ‘Today we are taking immediate action in direct response to Russia’s pernicious targeting of British diplomats and their families.
‘We will not tolerate the Kremlin’s relentless and unacceptable campaign of intimidation, nor their repeated attempts to threaten UK security.’
With relations spiralling downward between the two countries, Russia’s Ambassador Andrey Kelin was summoned to the Foreign Office to face criticism today.
His country is being accused of an ‘increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats’.
The identity of the Russian diplomat to be expelled has not been revealed.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said: ‘During the past twelve months, Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work.
‘Russia’s expulsion this week of a British diplomat and diplomatic spouse is yet another escalation.
‘The accusations made against these individuals are entirely false, fabricated in order to justify their increasing harassment of UK diplomats.
‘It is clear that the Russian state is actively seeking to drive the British Embassy in Moscow towards closure and has no regard for the dangerous escalatory impact of this.
‘Summoning the Russian Ambassador today, a senior Foreign Office official made clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families.
‘Consequently, we are taking immediate reciprocal action, revoking accreditation for a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse.
‘We do not take this decision lightly, but we have always made clear to Russia that if they escalate, we will take reciprocal action. The depths to which Russia sinks can only be met through strength.
‘Despite the extremely difficult bilateral relations caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and long-running campaign of hostile action against the UK, the UK Government believes that maintaining diplomatic channels of communication, and our respective diplomatic missions, is important.
‘It is deeply disappointing that this is continually made more difficult by unprovoked action from Russia.
‘We have drawn a line under this incident and demand Russia do the same. Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly.’
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Such expulsions of diplomats – both from Russia and from countries in the West – has hampered their embassies’ functions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
It’s also made it more difficult for Russia’s intelligence agencies to operate without the cover of diplomatic immunity.
But that hasn’t stopped them entirely. Six Bulgarians were convicted of spying for Russia after the Great Yarmouth beach house-based ring, dubbed ‘the Minions’, worked on Vladimir Putin’s orders to plot the kidnap and murder of the Russian president’s critics.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism unit, said: ‘The reality is this won’t be the only activity Russia is conducting here in the UK and we have seen other disruptions here in recent months.’
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