Russia announced on Thursday that it is expelling a United Kingdom diplomat over allegations that he is an undercover spy, escalating tensions between Moscow and London.
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Britain’s charge d’affaires to deliver a “strong protest” after “information received by the competent Russian authorities” indicated that a member of the UK embassy staff was linked to the country’s intelligence services.
“The individual’s accreditation is being revoked. He is required to leave the Russian Federation within two weeks,” the ministry said in a statement.
The diplomat has been identified by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) as Gareth Samuel Davies, officially listed as the UK embassy’s second secretary in Moscow.
Moscow has cautioned London not to “escalate the situation,” warning that it will issue a “firm symmetrical response” if the UK retaliates.
The expulsion marks the latest in a long-standing pattern of tit-for-tat diplomatic dismissals between the two countries. Over the past decade, both Russia and the UK have repeatedly expelled each other’s embassy staff amid mutual accusations of espionage.
Relations between London and Moscow were already at their lowest in decades prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with spying allegations and political disputes continuing to strain ties.
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