Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Tuesday the decision to expel a British diplomat for carrying out espionage activities threatening national security. “Indications were detected that the said diplomat was carrying out subversive and espionage activities that threaten the security of the Russian Federation,” said the official statement collected by the Interfax agency. Ukraine uses British missiles to bomb Russian soil.
The FSB specifies that the second secretary of the political department of the British embassy provided “false information” when applying for entry into Russian territory, which “violated Russian legislation”, which is why his diplomatic accreditation was revoked.
The note mentions the name of the diplomat, Wilkes Edward Pryor, which is unusual in these cases, especially when it is usually the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which publishes this news.
The FSB says Pryor, who has two weeks to leave Russia, replaced one of six diplomats expelled last August for espionage.
Then, Foreign Ministry spokesperson María Zajárova announced that the British ambassador had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
Last May, London announced that it would expel the Russian defense official from the United Kingdom, considering him an “undeclared military intelligence agent.”
Additionally, Home Secretary James Cleverly announced in the House of Commons the closure of several Russian diplomatic facilities operating in that country.
London also assured that it would impose restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, including a limit on the duration of their stay in the United Kingdom.
