Russia expels UK diplomats, accusing them of "espionage"

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced today that two UK diplomats were stripped of their accreditation accusing them of providing false information and evidence of "espionage and covert activities."

The Federal Security Service (FSB) stated that the second secretary of the UK embassy in Moscow and the spouse of another British diplomat had been stripped of their accreditation as they provided false personal information and conducted "intelligence and covert activities,"- tass.com reported.

"The Federal Security Service’s counterintelligence operation has uncovered an undeclared intelligence presence from the United Kingdom under the cover of its embassy in Moscow," the statement reads.

"It has been reliably established that the embassy’s Second Secretary, Alkesh Odedra, born on December 25, 1990, and Michael Skinner, born on June 30, 1992, the spouse of Tabassum Rashid, first secretary of the embassy’s political department, deliberately provided false information when applying for permission to enter our country, thus violating Russian laws. The FSB also found evidence of the two diplomats' intelligence and disruptive activities, which pose a threat to the security of the Russian Federation," the FSB added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, in coordination with other relevant agencies, decided to revoke the accreditation of Alkesh Odedra and Michael Skinner. They are required them to leave Russia within two weeks, the security service stated.

"Russia's FSB will continue to combat the reconnaissance and disruptive activities of foreign intelligence agencies using all available means," the statement concluded.

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