After NATO threats, Putin expels British diplomats, whom he accuses of spying

 

Russia announced on Friday that it has decided to expel six British diplomats from the country, accusing them of espionage and sabotage , in a move that clearly shows the tension between Moscow and London.

Russia's Federal Security Service, or FSB, said the decision was made in response to several hostile steps taken by London , a statement that likely refers to "messages" from Britain about a willingness to allow Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles against targets deep inside Russia.

Speaking on Thursday about this possible change in missile use, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that such a decision would mean NATO countries are at war with Russia .

On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry S. Peskov told reporters that Putin's statement was very important and that the Russian government had no doubt that the message got through .

Britain's Foreign Office, which said accusations of spying by the diplomats were unfounded, said the six had left Russia last month after Moscow warned London of its decision in early August.

That comes after Britain said in May it was expelling a Russian defense attaché as an undeclared military intelligence officer and imposed other restrictions on the Russian embassy in London.

As the New York Times reports , at the time Moscow responded by ordering the British defense attaché to leave Russia. The exchanges came amid the war in Ukraine and the timing of Russia's announcement coincided with Prime Minister Keir Starmer 's trip to Washington on Friday for his first official visit to the US as British leader.

The FSB, the main successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB , said the six expelled diplomats had been sent to Russia by Britain's foreign service directorate in charge of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The Russian Federal Security Service announced that the activities of the six diplomats were deemed to be a threat to Russia's security and that evidence of espionage and sabotage had been detected in their work .

In a statement, the British Foreign Office said: " Russian authorities revoked the diplomatic accreditation of six British diplomats in Russia last month, following actions taken by the UK government in response to Russian state activity across Europe and the UK Kingdom .'

In fact, he adds that: " We do not apologize for the protection of our national interests ".

Maria V. Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in a statement that her ministry supported the FSB's decision.

He said the six British diplomats had engaged in subversive work aimed at harming the Russian people. In a separate statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry promised to expel more British diplomats if they engage in similar activities.

Mr Peskov said on Friday that there was no talk of a complete closure of the British embassy in the Russian capital.

Russian state television showed photos of the six diplomats and identified them, although their names have not been confirmed.

The diplomats had met with Russian civil society activists, according to a television report.