The British Embassy in Moscow is pictured following the Russian foreign ministry's announcement that it had decided to expel a British diplomat on the grounds that he was an intelligence operative, on Jan. 16, 2026.Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Images

Russia expels British diplomat over espionage allegations – POLITICO

by · POLITICO

Russia ordered a British diplomat to leave the country over allegations of espionage on Monday.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed it had uncovered an “undeclared British intelligence presence” operating within the U.K. embassy in Moscow. It accused the diplomat of providing false information to obtain entry into Russia and engage in intelligence-gathering activities.

According to the FSB, the diplomat attempted to obtain sensitive information about Russia’s economy during informal meetings, actions it said posed a threat to national security. The agency said it had identified “signs of intelligence and subversive activities” linked to the official, who had been working as a second secretary at the embassy in Moscow and has been asked to leave the country within two weeks.