Russia has expelled two British diplomats from its embassy in Moscow, accusing them of espionage and subversive activities, further escalating tensions between the two nations. The announcement, made on Monday by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), claims the diplomats provided false personal information to enter the country and engaged in intelligence operations threatening national security. No evidence was presented to support the allegations.

According to state news agency RIA Novosti, the diplomats’ accreditations have been revoked, and they have two weeks to leave Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned a British embassy official to deliver the decision, stating, “Moscow will not tolerate undeclared British intelligence officers on Russian soil.” The UK has yet to respond officially.

This latest move follows a pattern of tit-for-tat expulsions amid strained relations, largely driven by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. In 2024, the FSB accused seven British diplomats of spying, resulting in six expulsions in September and one in November. The UK dismissed those actions as “baseless.” Last month, London expelled a Russian diplomat in retaliation for November’s expulsion, while in May 2024, Britain ousted Russia’s defense attaché, alleging he was an intelligence officer, and shuttered Russian diplomatic properties linked to espionage. Russia responded by expelling the UK’s defense attaché.

Diplomatic expulsions have surged since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russian outlet RBC reported that between early 2022 and October 2023, Western nations and Japan expelled 670 Russian diplomats, with Moscow retaliating by expelling 346—a sharp rise compared to the previous two decades.

The expulsions underscore deepening mistrust, with both sides accusing the other of covert operations. As the Ukraine conflict continues, such diplomatic spats signal a broader unraveling of Russia-West relations, with no immediate resolution in sight.