The British took revenge on the Russians

In the latest in a series of reciprocal moves, Britain's Foreign Office said it was taking "immediate reciprocal action" after Moscow accused a British diplomat and his wife of espionage.

In a statement, the Foreign Office accused Russia of fabricating the allegations "to justify increasing harassment of British diplomats" and "actively seeking to force the British Embassy in Moscow to close."

The Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrey Kelin, was summoned yesterday to a high-ranking official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the announcement.

"Persecution - Russia will take measures"
 

Russia revoked British diplomats' credentials: Spies
The official "made it clear that the UK will not tolerate intimidation of British embassy staff and their families", and that the accreditation of the Russian diplomat and his wife was being revoked as a result. Accreditation is recognition of diplomatic status by the government.

"Moscow is conducting a harassment campaign"

The Foreign Office has accused Moscow of conducting an "increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment of British diplomats" and "spreading malicious and completely unfounded allegations about their work" for 12 months, the BBC reports.

The statement said that Russia is trying to force the British embassy in Moscow to close and that Russia "does not care about the dangerous escalation effect of this".

The British government believes in "maintaining diplomatic channels of communication" with Russia, "despite extremely difficult bilateral relations caused by Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and the long-term campaign of hostile actions against the United Kingdom," the statement continued.

Russia expels two more British diplomats

The UK move comes after Russia ordered two British officials to leave within two weeks after the domestic security service accused them of "intelligence and subversive work".

The multiple expulsions of diplomats come amid worsening Russian-British relations since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In the past year alone, seven British diplomats have been expelled from Russia, with Moscow accusing them of espionage - charges the UK has denied.