Moscow revokes credentials of six UK diplomats amid espionage accusations

Russia has expelled six British diplomats, accusing them of espionage, in what marks a new escalation in the strained relations between Moscow and London. The Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday that it had revoked the diplomats' accreditation, alleging "signs of intelligence and subversive work" that posed a threat to the security of Russia.

British officials swiftly rejected the claims, describing the accusations as “completely baseless” and confirming that the diplomats had already left Russia several weeks ago. The UK government is currently working to replace them.

The expulsions were disclosed shortly after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Washington for discussions with US President Joe Biden. The talks are expected to focus on whether to allow Ukraine to target Russian territory with long-range Western weapons.

Russia’s FSB provided no evidence to support its claims but accused the UK’s Foreign Office of having transformed into an organisation whose “main task is to inflict a strategic defeat” on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. The identities of the expelled diplomats were later broadcast on Russian state media.

A British Foreign Office spokesperson responded: “The accusations made today by the FSB against our staff are completely baseless. We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests.”

The move comes after the UK expelled a Russian defence attaché in May, labelling him “an undeclared military intelligence officer.” The Russian ambassador was also summoned at the time.

The timing of Russia’s public announcement coincided with Starmer’s high-profile meeting in Washington. This followed a visit to Kyiv by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where they met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky’s administration has been urging Western allies to ease restrictions on long-range strikes inside Russia.

US officials signalled that Biden might consider allowing Ukraine to launch Western-provided missiles deep into Russian territory, though no immediate decision on US-provided Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) is expected. The talks are centred around whether Ukraine could use similar systems supplied by Britain and France.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned NATO leaders that lifting these restrictions would escalate the conflict. “This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries – are at war with Russia,” Putin said. He added that Moscow would take “appropriate decisions” in response to such actions.