Russia has expelled a British diplomat after accusing him of spying.
TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying the ministry had also summoned the British ambassador.
Footage shows the British ambassador’s car approaching the Foreign Ministry in Moscow.
The British Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
State news agencies reported that the country’s FSB security service accused the diplomat – whose photo was shown on television news – of providing false information on his documents and carrying out false information. carry out espionage and sabotage activities.
It added that the diplomat is a substitute for one of six British diplomats expelled in Augustalso on espionage charges.
It comes as relations between Britain and Russia have worsened since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last week, it was reported that Britain had lifted restrictions on Ukraine by using UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Russia for the first time.
President Vladimir Putin cited the move, along with launched long-range missiles provided by the US into Russian territorybehind Russia’s decision to launch a new hypersonic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday.
The expulsion of diplomats has become increasingly common since the war began.
Earlier this year, British diplomatic captain Adrian Coghill was given a week to leave Russiadays after the Russian defense attache was expelled from London for allegedly espionage as an “undeclared military intelligence officer”.
