Russia expelled a British diplomat on the 30th of March, accusing him of economic espionage, and the intelligence service warned that citizens who had contact with British diplomats could face serious problems, Reuters reports.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) said its counterintelligence officers had discovered that Albertus Gerhardus Janse van Rensburg, the second secretary at the British embassy, had been spying. The statement said that von Rensburg had carried out actions threatening the Russian Federation.
As the war in Ukraine continues, Moscow has portrayed Britain as its biggest enemy, saying that British intelligence services are carrying out espionage on a scale not seen since the Cold War and that their actions are aimed at creating discord within Russia.
Britain supports Ukraine both financially and with weapons, and sees Russia as the biggest threat, and has accused Russian intelligence services of carrying out large-scale cyberattacks, assassinations and sabotage campaigns against Western countries.
The FSB has indicated that von Rensburg, while meeting with Russian economic experts in an informal atmosphere,
sought to obtain sensitive information. Therefore, to avoid negative consequences, including criminal liability, the FSB recommends refraining from holding meetings with British diplomats.
As US President Donald Trump seeks ways to restore ties with Moscow, Britain has acquired the status of Moscow’s main enemy. Russian state television portrays Britain as a cunning international intelligence force that is trying to interfere in politics from Washington to Iran from behind the scenes, thereby threatening Russian interests around the world.
Western diplomats stationed in Russia have reported that intrusive surveillance and intimidation are commonplace. The handbook known as the Moscow Rules, developed during the Soviet era specifically for Western spies, has been updated to serve as a guide in modern Russia.
Russia has imposed Soviet-style restrictions on most British diplomats, requiring them to report if they plan to travel beyond a 120-km radius. Diplomatic missions in Moscow are now considered some of the most difficult in the world. Meanwhile, Russia also complains that its diplomats in Western countries, especially the United States, face restrictions.
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