Moscow expelled a British diplomat, accusing him of espionage, reported Reuters, referring to a statement from today's Federal Security Service (FSS) of Russia, quoted by the Russian Interfax news agency. In this regard, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the British ambassador to Moscow, Nigel Casey, Reuters informed, citing the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, BTA reports.
The FSS clarifies that the diplomat, whose photo was in a number of news broadcasts, knowingly spread false information on the territory of Russia.
"The Russian Federal Security Service found evidence that the diplomat in question was engaged in espionage and subversive activities that posed a threat to the security of the Russian Federation,'' the FSS statement also said.
The summoning of the British ambassador to the Russian Foreign Ministry is a frequent expression of categorical protest by the Russian government, according to Reuters.
From the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. relations between Russia and Great Britain have deteriorated to their level since the Cold War period, the agency points out, reminding that according to Moscow's information, Ukraine launched a British winged "Storm Shadow" on its territory last week - for the first time since the beginning of the conflict.