Russia expels British diplomat from Moscow embassy over spying claims

MOSCOW — Russia on Thursday ordered a British diplomat to leave the country over allegations of spying, charges that were dismissed as “baseless” by the U.K.

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

Russia Foreign Ministry said in a statement the diplomat’s accreditation has been revoked and that the individual must now leave the country within two weeks. 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.

The U.K.'s Foreign Office said it was “carefully considering” a response to Russia’s expulsion of a British diplomat, saying this was not the first time the Kremlin had made “malicious and baseless" accusations against staff.

“Their targeting of British diplomats comes out of desperation and actions like this undermine the basic conditions required for diplomatic missions to operate," the office said.

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. also said those accusations were false.