The UK-Russia Spy Scandal in 2025 highlighted two spies. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) expelled two people connected to the British embassy in Moscow, and the Russian government ordered them to leave the country. The British government retaliated by accusing Russia of making malicious and baseless accusations.
Britain and Russia are experiencing their worst relations since the Ukraine war started. They have not had the same ties since the Cold War. Britain has joined successive waves of sanctions against Russia and provided arms to Ukraine.
UK-Russia Spy Scandal in 2025: Two Diplomats Expelled
Recently, the Russian Authorities have ordered the two people connected to the British embassy in Moscow to leave the country. Meanwhile, the Russian authorities claimed that the two people had been performing intelligence work. Consequently, the British government retaliated by accusing Russia of “malicious and baseless accusations.”
Citing Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the state news agency Tass identified the two individuals expelled. They were working as the second secretary of the British embassy and the spouse of another British diplomat. The Russian government accused them of deliberately declaring false information about themselves when entering the country. According to the Russian government, they did “intelligence and subversive activities.”
UK-Russia Spy Scandal in 2025: Signs of Intelligence and Sabotage Work
In fact, the FSB had uncovered “signs of intelligence and sabotage work” by both that threatened Russia’s national security. It comes days after three Bulgarian nationals accused of spying for Russia were found guilty of spying charges in a trial. The court believed they were working in a string of plots around Europe directed by a fugitive based in Moscow.
UK-Russia Spy Scandal in 2025 has an old root in the relations between the two countries. Downing Street expected President Putin and his regime to provide the latest expulsions; the allegations are undoubtedly baseless. The prime minister’s official spokesperson said that the expulsions will not distract the UK from focusing on supporting Ukraine. The UK wants to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position over the days and weeks ahead.
UK-Russia Spy Scandal in 2025: Representative of the British Embassy Summoned
Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned a British embassy representative over the expulsions. The ministry had complained that the diplomats were “undeclared” employees of Britain’s intelligence services, something Moscow would not tolerate. Noticeably, UK-Russia Spy Scandal in 2025 may continue. The ministry said it would “respond in kind” if London decided to “escalate” the situation.
The move is the latest in a series of tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats by Russia and the UK. Britain expelled a Russian diplomat last month. The foreign secretary, David Lammy, said that action followed Russia’s recent expulsion of a British diplomat in November. Russia had accused the British diplomat of giving false information and spying.
UK-Russia Spy Scandal in 2025: Stop List of Russia
The court will sentence the Russian spy ring in May. Moreover, the ringleaders, Orlin Roussev, Biser Dzhambazov, and Ivan Stoyanov, who admitted their roles, will also be in the court. Christo Grozev was the Bulgarian journalist who was the target of members of the spy ring about kidnapping or killing him. He said the expulsions appeared to be a “thinly deniable tit for tat” for the convictions last week.
The Guardian reported on how Russian diplomats accessed a private area of parliament in a significant security breach shortly before Christmas. It alarmed security officials and prompted private warnings from the speakers of both houses. Russian authorities have barred some UK politicians and journalists from entering Russia since the start of Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia added others, including the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, and cabinet members, to a so-called “stop list.”
UK-Russia and Ukraine War: The Hostility Continues
Moscow is angry with Britain’s continued military support for Ukraine as well as with Keir Starmer. Indeed, Keir Starmer’s recent statements were about putting British boots on the ground and planes in the air in Ukraine. He believed Britain’s action was part of a potential peacekeeping force. The expulsions also come days after three Bulgarians were found guilty in a London court. The court believed they were part of a Russian spy unit run by Wirecard fugitive Jan Marsalek. Their purpose was to carry out surveillance on a US military base and other individuals targeted by Moscow.
However, the two Britons appear to be the first Western diplomats expelled from Russia. It is since Moscow and Washington opened talks on restoring staff at their respective embassies. However, tit-for-tat expulsions have depleted the embassies, which is part of Donald Trump’s rapprochement with the Kremlin, which has alarmed European allies. Similar expulsions have sharply reduced the functioning of Russian embassies across the West and of Western missions in Russia. It comes since 2022 when President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
UK-Russia Spy Scandal in 2025: Chain of Retaliation
Russian police in February opened a criminal investigation into an alleged assault on a freelance journalist. In fact, he is an employee of the British embassy who committed the crime. London dismissed an allegation as “an interference operation” designed to intimidate legitimate diplomats. That announcement came a day after Britain expelled a Russian diplomat in retaliation for Moscow throwing out a British diplomat. In short, Britain and Russia are experiencing their worst relations since the Ukraine war started. They have not had the same ties since the Cold War. The reason for their not friendly relations is that Britain is making successive sanctions against Russia and is also sending arms for the war in Ukraine.
UK-Russia Spy Scandal in 2025 is not new. The UK accused Moscow of being in charge of the poisoning attack in 2006 to assassinate former Russian agent and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London. In 2018, Britain and its allies expelled dozens of Russian embassy officials. They said they were spies over the attempted poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.
