(Reuters) – Russia’s FSB security service said on Friday it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow after accusing them of espionage and sabotage, signaling the Kremlin’s anger at what it sees as London’s vital role in helping Ukraine.
The UK described the accusations as “completely unfounded”, saying it was a retaliatory move after the UK expelled the Russian defense attaché and removed the diplomatic status of several Russian properties in May.
Russia announced the expulsions hours before talks in Washington between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden, a crucial step in allowing Kiev to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the West would be fighting Russia directly if it allowed Ukraine to attack Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles, a move he said would change the nature and scope of the conflict.
The Kremlin said on Friday that Putin had delivered what it described as a clear and unambiguous message to the West, which it was sure had been heard.
Washington and London see Iran’s delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, announced by Washington this week, as a dramatic escalation and accelerated negotiations on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles, according to three Western sources. Russia and Iran have denied any such deliveries.
The FSB, the main successor agency to the Soviet KGB, said it had documents showing that a department of the British Foreign Office in London, responsible for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, is coordinating what it called an “escalation of the political and military situation” and had the task of ensuring Russia’s strategic defeat in its war against Ukraine.
“The facts revealed give grounds to consider the activities of British diplomats sent to Moscow by the directorate as a threat to the security of the Russian Federation,” the FSB said in a statement.
“On the basis of documents provided by Russia’s Federal Security Service and as a response to the numerous hostile measures taken by London, the Russian Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with the agencies concerned, terminated the accreditation of six members of the political department of the British Embassy in Moscow, in whose actions signs of espionage and sabotage were found,” it said.
“The Russian authorities revoked the diplomatic accreditation of six UK diplomats in Russia last month, following measures taken by the UK government in response to Russian state-led activity across Europe and in the UK,” a British Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement.
“We make no apology for protecting our national interests.”