#russia-uk-relations

#russia-uk-relations

Russia has kicked out a British diplomat who has been accused of spying, Moscow's Foreign Minister confirmed on Thursday. The ministry said they had received information "regarding the affiliation of a diplomatic employee at the embassy with the British secret service". The ministry said they summoned the British charge d'affaires Danae Dholakia to make a "strong protest" telling her the diplomat has been expelled.

In recent years, Britain has become the villain of choice in Moscow's eyes. It has been accused of plotting drone strikes on Russian airfields, blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline, directing terrorist raids inside Russia, and even abetting last year's gruesome Islamic State concert attack in Moscow. This week, a new charge was added to the pile: Russian authorities claimed that British intelligence had tried and failed to lure Russian pilots into defecting to the west.