Russia has declared a British diplomat persona non grata and ordered their expulsion from the country, accusing the individual of working as an undercover intelligence officer.
Diplomat given two weeks to leave
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the unnamed diplomat, a member of the British embassy staff, was working for the UK's special services. In line with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, their accreditation has been revoked. The official has been given two weeks to depart Russia.
Britain's most senior diplomat in Moscow, Danae Dholakia, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday 15 January 2026. There, she faced a formal protest over the alleged espionage activities.
A staged protest and a stark warning
The summons was accompanied by what observers described as a choreographed display. A crowd, which appeared to be staged, gathered outside the ministry holding placards with anti-British slogans such as 'Britain is a terrorist country'. Russian state media were present to film the event.
During the meeting, Moscow issued a direct warning to London. A statement from the ministry said: "It was again emphasized that Moscow will not tolerate the activities of undeclared British special services personnel on Russian territory." It added that if Britain chooses to escalate the situation, Russia will deliver a decisive 'mirror' response.
Part of a long-standing tit-for-tat pattern
This expulsion continues a pattern of diplomatic ejections between the two nations that intensified after the 2018 Salisbury Novichok poisonings and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sky News Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett noted that being declared persona non grata has "almost become routine" for British diplomats in Moscow in recent years.
The Kremlin uses these actions to bolster its narrative that Britain is a principal adversary. No public evidence was provided by the Russian security service, the FSB, to support its latest spying claim.
The incident occurs amid separate reports of Russian intelligence efforts to recruit individuals in Europe for sabotage operations, aimed at undermining support for Ukraine.
