Russia has announced the expulsion of a British diplomat, accusing them of spying, as tensions between Moscow and London escalate following Ukraine’s use of British weapons to target sites deep within Russia.
On Tuesday, Russia’s FSB intelligence agency stated that the diplomat was involved in “reconnaissance and subversive activities” and had provided false information when applying for entry. According to Leaders Asia sources, the diplomat, whose photo was widely broadcast on Russian media, has been given two weeks to leave the country. This follows the August expulsion of six UK diplomats, also accused of espionage, which Britain dismissed as baseless.
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador, Nigel Casey, but the UK Foreign Office has not yet commented on the recent expulsion. As per the sources of Leaders Asia, relations between the two nations worsened last week after Britain authorized Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles on Russian targets, a decision made shortly after the U.S. approved similar strikes with Atacms missiles. Kyiv has since used these weapons to strike Russian military infrastructure, including a command post in the Kursk region. Reports indicate that Britain has recently delivered additional Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.
In response, President Vladimir Putin launched an experimental ballistic missile at a target in Dnipro and warned that Moscow reserved the right to strike Western nations supplying weapons to Ukraine. The situation reflects the ongoing tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions and military tensions that have defined UK-Russia relations since the start of the war.
