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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government expelled a British diplomat and the spouse of another Monday, after accusing them of spying. It’s the latest twist in a long-running, tit-for-tat row between London and Moscow.
The pair were accused of engaging in intelligence activity in connection with Britain’s embassy in Moscow. They have been ordered to leave the country within two weeks. The U.K. swiftly dismissed the claims as “baseless.”
“Russia has uncovered signs of intelligence and subversive work by these diplomats, threatening the security of the Russian Federation,” a statement by the FSB security agency said.
It added: “The Federal Security Service’s counter-intelligence operations exposed the unreported intelligence presence of the United Kingdom under the cover of the country’s embassy in Moscow.”
The Kremlin said a man, 34, and woman, 32, “will be stripped of their accreditation and must leave Russia within two weeks.”
A spokesperson for the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “This is not the first time that Russia has made malicious and baseless accusations against our staff.”
The explusion comes after three U.K.-based Bulgarians were found guilty Friday of being part of a Russian spy ring, and amid high tensions between the two countries over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia also expeled a British diplomat in a similar manner last November and half a dozen in September. The FCDO has long rejected Russia’s claims — and revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat last month.
