Russia expels UK diplomat over spying allegations

Russia on Monday expelled a British diplomat on charges of espionage and ordered him to leave the country within two weeks, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said. “A decision has been made to revoke Janse Van Rensburg's accreditation, and he has been ordered to leave Russia within two weeks," the FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said.  On Monday, the British Chargé d'Affaires in Russia, Danae Dholakia was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served a strong protest following revelations that one of the diplomatic staff at the British Embassy had "knowingly provided false information" about himself when obtaining entry into the country, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.The FSB claims the diplomat "intentionally provided false information" when obtaining a permit to enter Russia, and that there were "signs of intelligence activities" detected, according to state news agency Tass.
In recent years, the United Kingdom and Russia have engaged in several rounds of tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats.With Russian assassinations in the UK and the Russian invasions of Ukraine, the UK-Russia relationship has been adversarial for more than a decade. British officials have frequently cited Russia as one of the main threats and Russian officials have frequently accused the UK of pursuing an anti-Russia agenda.
Since 2024, Russia has expelled at least 10 British diplomats and their family members over spying allegations. In September 2024, Russia expelled six British diplomats in Moscow after accusing them of engaging in “subversive activities and intelligence”. In March 2025, Russia expelled another diplomat and another diplomat’s spouse on same charges.
In February 2025, the UK had expelled a Russian diplomat on espionage charges. Following the March 2025 expulsions in Moscow, the UK expelled a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse in tit-for-tat action. In 2024, the UK expelled the then-Russian defence attache after declaring him as an “undeclared military intelligence officer”. The UK also revoked the diplomatic status for several Russian-owned premises to curb “malign” Russian activity in the kingdom.