Russias FSB Orders British Diplomats Expulsion Over Alleged Intimidation

British Diplomat Expelled from Moscow Over Allegations of Espionage

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has ordered a British diplomat to leave the country within two weeks, following allegations of economic espionage. The FSB claims that Albertus Gerhardus Janse van Rensburg, the second secretary at the British Embassy in Moscow, was carrying out intelligence and subversive activities that threaten Russia’s security.

According to the FSB, van Rensburg attempted to obtain sensitive information during informal meetings with Russian experts in the field of economics. The agency has recommended that Russians refrain from holding meetings with British diplomats to avoid negative consequences.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has delivered a protest to Britain’s charge d’affaires over the alleged spy. In response, the British Foreign Office has stated that Russia’s accusations against its diplomats are “completely unacceptable” and that it will not tolerate “intimidation” of its embassy staff or their families.

Russia has accused British intelligence of launching espionage activities at a level unseen since the Cold War to sow discord within the country. The UK, which supports Ukraine with financial and military aid, views Russia as its biggest immediate threat and accuses its intelligence of conducting cyberattacks, killings, and sabotage campaigns across the Western world.

The expulsion comes amid ongoing tensions between Russia and the West over the country’s war on Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Source: Al Jazeera