Britain Orders Out Russian Diplomat Following Moscow’s Action Against UK Staff

By: Ebenezer Adu-Gyamfi / Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada 2/2/2026

London — The United Kingdom has announced the expulsion of a Russian diplomat in a tit-for-tat diplomatic move following Moscow’s recent decision to kick out a British diplomat over espionage allegations.

The British government revoked the accreditation of the unnamed Russian envoy on February 2, 2026, and summoned Russia’s ambassador, Andrey Kelin, to protest what it described as Moscow’s “unprovoked and unjustified” actions. A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the move was a direct response to Russia’s decision last month to expel a member of the British embassy staff, accusing them of acting as an undercover agent — a claim London rejected as baseless and without evidence.

In its official statement, the FCDO emphasized that the UK will not tolerate attempts to “intimidate British Embassy staff” and warned that any further measures by Russia would be treated as escalation and met with appropriate responses.

Background: Ongoing Diplomatic Tensions

The latest expulsions are part of a broader pattern of reciprocal diplomatic actions between the UK and Russia over the past several years. Relations between the two countries have been strained by a series of espionage allegations, expulsions, and broader geopolitical tensions — particularly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Just weeks earlier, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) accused the British diplomat of having ties to UK intelligence and ordered them to leave the country within two weeks, a move that the British government condemned as unfounded.

Since the conflict in Ukraine began, the UK and other Western nations have repeatedly traded expulsions with Russia, with diplomats from both sides being declared persona non grata amid mutual distrust and accusations of espionage reminiscent of Cold War-era disputes.

What This Means Going Forward

The latest expulsion underscores the deepening diplomatic rift between London and Moscow. While both sides have maintained formal diplomatic relations, such tit-for-tat moves reflect persistent mistrust and complicate efforts to ease tensions, particularly in the context of Western support for Ukraine and disagreements over security issues.

The Russian Embassy in London has not yet issued a public response to the UK’s decision, and it remains unclear whether this dispute will lead to further expulsions or additional diplomatic retaliation from Moscow.