Russia expels British diplomat from Moscow embassy over spying claims

Audio By Carbonatix

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities Thursday ordered a British diplomat to leave the country on allegations of spying.

Russia’s Federal Security Service, known by its Russian acronym FSB, alleged that the member of embassy staff had worked for British intelligence. It did not provide evidence.

The diplomat’s accreditation was revoked and and the person must now leave the country within two weeks, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The U.K.’s charge d’affaires in Russia, Danae Dholakia, was summoned to the ministry's Moscow headquarters to receive the notice.

“Moscow will not tolerate the work of undeclared British intelligence officers in Russia,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said. It also said that it would respond in kind to any action taken by London on the issue.

There was no immediate reaction from the British government on the matter.

Russia and NATO allies have carried out multiple rounds of mutual expulsions of diplomats as relations have sunk to the lowest levels since the Cold War after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow previously expelled two British diplomats based in Moscow over spying allegations in March 2025. The U.K. called those charges “malicious and baseless.”