Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that it would revoke the accreditation of two diplomats from the United Kingdom. The decision was made following the discovery of an undeclared presence of British intelligence services under the cover of the British Embassy in Moscow, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The ministry stated that it had been reliably established that Alkesch Odedra, the second secretary of the embassy and Michael Skinner, the husband of Tabassum Raschid, the first secretary of the political department of the embassy, had intentionally made false statements about their persons during the application for their residence permits, thereby violating Russian law.
Additionally, the FSB has found evidence that the aforementioned diplomats were engaging in intelligence and subversive activities that pose a threat to the security of the Russian Federation, according to the ministry.
On this basis, both British envoys have been instructed to leave Russia within two weeks. The FSB will continue to take all available measures to counter the intelligence and subversive activities of foreign intelligence services, the Russian Foreign Ministry assured.
Furthermore, the ministry announced that a representative of the British Embassy in Moscow had been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, during which a strong protest note was handed over in connection with the discovered facts. Moscow also warned that in the event of an escalation of the situation by London, a mirror-like reaction would follow.