UK to expel Russian defence attache who it claims is ‘undeclared military intelligence officer’

The United Kingdom, on Wednesday (May 8) said that it will expel Russia’s defence attache for being “an undeclared military intelligence officer”. Britain will also shut several Russian diplomatic premises and limit the length of Russian diplomatic visas in response to what British Home Secretary James Cleverly called Moscow’s “malign activity”.

What does the UK plan to do?

Cleverly told the Parliament that Britain will expel the Russian defence attache who he claimswas an “undeclared military intelligence officer.”

He also said that the UK will remove the diplomatic status of several Russian-owned properties, including one in Sussex, southern England, and another in London “which we believe have been used for intelligence purposes”.

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Britain will also introduce new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas such as a cap on the length of time that diplomats can spend in the UK, Cleverly added.

“We should expect accusations of Russophobia, conspiracy theories and hysteria from the Russian government,” the home secretary warned.

However, he added, this is not new and the British people and the government “will not fall for it, and will not be taken for fools by (President Vladimir) Putin’s bots, trolls and lackeys.”

Rise in ‘malign’ activity in UK

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK has introduced a wave of sanctions against Moscow. Cleverly said the Conservative government would not falter in its support of Kyiv.

The recent move also comes after Britain said that it is concerned at an apparent increase in “malign” Russian activity on UK soil, including an arson attack which was allegedly linked to Moscow, last month.

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In April, a British man was charged over alleged hostile state activity intended to benefit Russia after allegedly recruiting others for an arson attack on a Ukrainian-linked commercial property in London.

The 20-year-old who has been accused of recruiting others for an arson attack has been arrested by the police under the National Security Act 2023. The UK has since claimed that the man had links to the Wagner Group.

“Our message to Russia is clear: stop this illegal war, withdraw your troops from Ukraine, cease this malign activity,” said the home secretary.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, on Wednesday, said that the allegations of Moscow’s involvement in the arson attack were absurd and called it a part of an information war.

(With inputs from agencies)