UK withdraws accreditation for two Russian diplomatic officials

The UK has withdrawn accreditation for a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse, requiring them to leave the country, following the expulsion of two British officials from Russia on Monday.

The UK Foreign Office said it was taking "immediate reciprocal action" after Moscow accused a British diplomat and the spouse of another diplomat of spying.

"Russia’s expulsion this week of a British diplomat and diplomatic spouse is yet another escalation. The accusations made against these individuals are entirely false, fabricated in order to justify their increasing harassment of UK diplomats," - the Foreign Office sais in statement.

The Office added that the Russian state was "actively seeking to drive the British Embassy in Moscow towards closure" and had no regard for the "dangerous escalatory impact" of this.

Russia's ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin was summoned by a senior Foreign Office official on Wednesday, the statement read.

The official "made clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families," and that the accreditation of the Russian diplomat and diplomatic spouse was being revoked as a result.

The Foreign Office accused Moscow of pursuing "an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats" and "pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work" for 12 months.

The UK government believes in "maintaining diplomatic channels of communication" with Russia, "despite the extremely difficult bilateral relations caused by Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and long-running campaign of hostile action against the UK", the statement continued.

Copied