Russia has expelled a British diplomat on charges of espionage

Russia has ordered the expulsion of a British diplomat, the deputy head of the UK embassy in Moscow, accused of espionage by the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB). The diplomat, Albertus Gerhardus Janse Van Rensburg, must leave Russia within two weeks, and his accreditation has been revoked. This action comes in a context of rising tensions between Russia and the United Kingdom, already affected by the conflict in Ukraine.

A video recording was published by the Russian embassy, showing Danae Dholakia, the chargé d'affaires of the United Kingdom, at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Relations between the two countries have been marked by reciprocal expulsions of diplomats in recent years, and this latest measure underscores the ongoing deterioration of diplomatic ties.