Russia expels British ambassador from Moscow embassy over espionage allegations.

MOSCOW (AP)— Russia ordered a British diplomat to leave the country on Thursday on spying claims, which the UK described as “baseless”.

Russia’s Federal Security Service, known by its Russian abbreviation FSB, said the embassy employee worked for British intelligence. It did not give proof.

According to a statement from Russia’s Foreign Ministry, the diplomat’s accreditation has been withdrawn, and he must leave the country within two weeks. Danae Dholakia, the United Kingdom’s charge d’affaires in Russia, was called to the ministry’s Moscow headquarters to receive the warning.

“Moscow will not tolerate the work of undeclared British intelligence officers in Russia,” claimed Russia’s Foreign Ministry. It also stated that it will respond in kind to any measures done by London about the subject.

The UK Foreign Office said it was “carefully considering” a reaction to Russia’s expulsion of a British diplomat, noting that the Kremlin had previously made “malicious and baseless” claims against personnel.

“Their targeting of British diplomats comes out of desperation and actions like this undermine the basic conditions required for diplomatic missions to operate,” the Embassy’s staff stated.

Russia and NATO partners have conducted repeated rounds of mutual expulsions of diplomats as ties have deteriorated to their lowest point since the Cold War when the Kremlin moved soldiers into Ukraine in February 2022.

In March 2025, Moscow removed two British diplomats based in Moscow due to espionage charges. The United Kingdom also said that the charges were incorrect.