Russia’s ambassador has been summoned by the UK Foreign Office following the expulsion of six British diplomats from Moscow, according to government sources. The Foreign Office condemned the move, claiming that Russia has made “malicious and completely baseless accusations” against its diplomatic personnel.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office criticized Russia’s actions as a “malicious and deliberate public campaign of aggression against the UK.” This escalation follows the Russian secret service, the FSB, revoking the diplomats’ accreditation on September 13, citing documents that allege Britain’s role in orchestrating “a strategic defeat” for Russia.
The spokesperson emphasized that the Kremlin’s behavior violates international treaties governing diplomatic relations and aims to undermine the security of the UK, deterring its support for Ukraine. The UK government accused Russia of executing a campaign characterized by disinformation, acts of sabotage in Europe, and harassment of UK diplomatic missions in Russia.
“This campaign will not succeed. Russia must stop this activity immediately,” the statement asserted. Reports indicate that police informed media outside the Foreign Office that the ambassador, Andrei Kelin, had visited but left earlier that day.
Diplomatic accreditation is essential for recognizing an individual’s diplomatic status, as per UN guidelines. Without this accreditation, individuals do not possess official diplomatic status.
While it is understood that the affected diplomats departed Russia weeks prior to their formal expulsion, the announcement coincided with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s pivotal visit to Washington, where he met with US President Joe Biden to discuss potential support for Ukraine, including the use of Western long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that such actions would be seen as a significant escalation of the conflict, equating it to “direct participation” from NATO countries. The expelled diplomats, who were publicly named by Russian state media, represent the latest round of expulsions, which have surged since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Earlier attempts to navigate diplomatic tensions included the expulsion of British diplomat Capt Adrian Coghill, who was ordered to leave Russia shortly after the Russian defense attaché was expelled from London for alleged espionage.
