Moscow [Russia], September 13 : Russia announced on Friday that it has expelled six British diplomats from the country, citing allegations of espionage and sabotage activities, according to a report by The New York Times.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said that the decision had been made in response to "the numerous unfriendly steps taken by London" and said that the six expelled diplomats had been sent to Russia by the British foreign service directorate responsible for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) attributed the expulsion of the six British diplomats to "the numerous unfriendly steps taken by London."
The FSB further said that the diplomats were sent to Russia by the British Foreign Office's directorate responsible for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
The agency, in a statement, further claimed that the British directorate, since the invasion of Ukraine, has turned into "a special service, whose main task is to inflict strategic defeat" on Russia.
The FSB also called the activities of the six British diplomats as "threatening" to the security of Russia and said that "signs of spying and sabotage" had been detected in their work.
The British Foreign Office dismissed the espionage allegations as baseless, confirming that the six diplomats had already departed Russia in late August, following Moscow's notification to London of its decision earlier that month.
The British Foreign Office in a statement said, "The Russian authorities revoked the diplomatic accreditation of six 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," according to New York Times.
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, endorsed the FSB's decision, stating that the six British diplomats had been involved in "subversive work aimed at harming" Russian people.
Furthermore, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning, vowing to take similar measures against additional British diplomats if they engage in similar activities.
Notably, the move by Russia comes ahead of the bilateral meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and United States President Joe Biden at the White House on September 13. The two leaders will have an in-depth discussion on a range of global issues of mutual interest, including continuing robust support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression, according to a press release by White House.
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