FSB detained a former guard of the British Embassy / Russia accuses him of spying for Ukraine

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday, September 10, the detention of a former security guard at the British Embassy in Moscow, accused of collecting personal data on British diplomats for Ukrainian intelligence services.

According to the FSB, the information was allegedly gathered as part of preparations for a Ukrainian false-flag operation intended to provoke hostile actions against British diplomatic staff and subsequently assign responsibility to Russia. Russian authorities have so far presented no public evidence to support the accusations.

The incident comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Moscow and London following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. At the same time, Russia and Ukraine have resumed mutual attacks after a three-day moratorium expired. A Ukrainian maritime drone attack on the resort city of Sochi left eight people injured and damaged part of the breakwater and beach infrastructure.

The conflict is also fueled by North Korean military support for Moscow. Pyongyang allegedly sent between 14,000 and 15,000 troops and millions of artillery shells in exchange for economic and technological support from Russia.