Russia: British Diplomat Accused of Espionage Expelled
The Russian Foreign Ministry protested to the British ambassador over the “illegal activities of a British diplomat” and announced sanctions against 30 British citizens, including many ministers in Starmer's government
A new round of the “spy war” between Russia and the UK. Wilkes Edward Pryor, second secretary of the political section of the British Embassy in Moscow, has been expelled from Russia on charges of “carrying out intelligence and subversive activities.”
As Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) wrote in a statement, “in the course of conducting counterintelligence activities, the FSB discovered an undeclared presence of British intelligence under the cover of the embassy in Moscow.” Pryor replaced one of six British intelligence officers expelled from Russia in August. “When Pryor received permission to enter our country, he deliberately provided false data, violating Russian law,” the Russian intelligence agency also wrote in a statement. The Russian Foreign Ministry, together with specialized agencies, decided to revoke Pryor’s diplomatic accreditation, and he was ordered to leave Russia within two weeks. “The FSB will continue to work on countering the intelligence and subversive activities of foreign intelligence services by all available methods,” the statement said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has protested to British Ambassador to Russia Nigel Casey (pictured leaving the Foreign Office in Moscow) over Pryor’s actions. The Foreign Office informed Casey of the decision to “tighten the requirements” for British diplomats to fill out questionnaires when entering Russia. “The Russian side strongly recommends British citizens to provide only reliable information about their past when applying for a visa,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized.
The authorization that Keir Starmer’s government has given Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles to strike deep into Russian territory has further exacerbated tensions between London and Moscow, which has imposed sanctions on 30 British citizens in response to what it sees as London’s hostile actions. The list of those hit by the sanctions includes London government officials, military personnel, and journalists. The list includes Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Health Minister Wes Streeting, among others. The Russian ministry warned that in response to Britain’s hostile actions, Russia “will continue to expand the list of British citizens who will be banned from entering Russia.”