MOSCOW: Russia’s security service said on Friday it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow after accusing them of spying and sabotage work, signalling the Kremlin’s anger at what it sees as London’s vital role in helping Ukraine.

Britain described the accusations as “completely baseless”, saying it was a tit-for-tat action after the UK expelled the Russian defence attache and removed diplomatic status from several Russian properties in May.

Russia announced the expulsions hours before talks in Washington between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden, a crucial step towards winning the go-ahead for Kyiv to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia.

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the West would be directly fighting with Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles, a move he said would alter the nature and scope of the conflict.

The Kremlin said on Friday that Putin had delivered what it described as a clear and unambiguous message to the West, which it was sure had been heard.

Washington and London accuse Iran of delivering ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, calling it a dramatic escalation. Russia and Iran have denied any such deliveries.

The FSB, the main successor agency to the Soviet KGB, said it had documents showing that a British foreign office department in London responsible for Eastern Europe and Central Asia was coordinating “escalation of the political and military situation” and was tasked with ensuring Russia’s strategic defeat in its war against Ukraine.

“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,” the FSB said in a statement.

“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 cooperation 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,” it said.

Britain said Russian accusations against its diplomats were baseless.

“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,” a British Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

Long-range missiles

Russia’s move to expel British diplomats ratcheted up tensions between Moscow and London, hours before Starmer landed in Washington to advance talks on getting the green light from Biden for Kyiv to use Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of more than 250km, inside Russia.

Sources say the meeting is another step in talks to allow Ukraine to use Western long-range missiles against targets in Russia.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2024