UK Expels Russian Diplomat in Retaliatory Move

The United Kingdom has expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse in response to Moscow’s recent expulsion of two British embassy staffers.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) announced on Wednesday that it was taking “immediate reciprocal action” after Russia accused the British diplomats of espionage and gave them two weeks to leave the country. London has rejected these allegations as “baseless” and “deliberate.”

Russian Ambassador Andrei Kelin was summoned by the FCDO and informed of the expulsions, although no deadline for the couple’s departure was provided.

“Over the past 12 months, Russia has escalated a coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats,” the FCDO stated, adding that Moscow’s actions seek to force the closure of the UK embassy in Russia.

Diplomatic expulsions have become increasingly frequent since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with both sides engaging in tit-for-tat measures.