Foreign Office slams Russia's 'baseless' accusations that six British diplomats were spying in Moscow
13 September 2024, 10:47 | Updated: 13 September 2024, 10:49
The Foreign Office has dismissed Russian claims that six British diplomats in Moscow were caught spying as "baseless".
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The FSB said that they had found signs of espionage in the work of the six diplomats and had revoked their accreditation in as a result, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
But British officials said in response that the six diplomats in question had already had their accreditation taken away, after the UK imposed a five-year limit on Russian diplomats in Britain.
The Foreign Office said the six diplomats had already left Russia weeks ago and had been replaced. They added that the FSB's remarks were part of a wider Russian effort to discredit the UK, and that the embassy in Moscow remained open.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office said: "The accusations made today by the FSB against our staff are completely baseless.
"The Russian authorities revoked the diplomatic accreditation of 6 UK diplomats in Russia last month, following action taken by the UK government in response to Russian state directed activity across Europe and in the UK.
"We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests.”
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Earlier the FSB, the successor agency to the Soviet Union's notorious KGB, claimed that the six diplomats had been tasked with "the escalation of the political and military situation" in Ukraine.
The FSB added in a statment: "Thus, the facts revealed give grounds to consider the activities of British diplomats sent to Moscow by the directorate as threatening the security of the Russian Federation.
"In this connection, on the basis of documents provided by the Federal Security Service of Russia and as a response to the numerous unfriendly steps taken by London, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, in co-operation with the agencies concerned, has terminated the accreditation of six members of the political department of the British Embassy in Moscow in whose actions signs of spying and sabotage were found."
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It comes as tensions between Russia and the UK escalate as Keir Starmer travels to the US to discuss the war in Ukraine with Joe Biden.
Kyiv has called for Western allies such as the UK and US to allow it to use long-range missiles within Russia.
Vladimir Putin warned the use of such missiles by Ukraine will be seen as an 'act of war' by Moscow but the PM said the UK does not "seek any conflict with Russia".
The Russian leader had told reporters the use of the UK-made missiles would "change the very nature of the conflict" on Thursday, before issuing a harsh warning to the Ukrainian president.
"It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia," he told state media.
