Russia has expelled a British diplomat from the country, accusing him of acting as a spy.
Moscow‘s foreign ministry said today it had received information ‘regarding the affiliation of a diplomatic employee at the embassy with the British secret service’.
The ministry said it had summoned British charge d’affaires Danae Dholakia to lodge a ‘strong protest’ and inform her that the diplomat was being expelled.
The ministry did not identify the diplomat, but said he must leave Russia within two weeks.
The ministry – which is headed by Vladimir Putin’s attack dog Sergey Lavrov – said Moscow would not ‘tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence officers in Russia’, and warned of retribution if London were to ‘escalate the situation’.
Both Russia and the UK have periodically expelled each other’s diplomats from the country since the start of Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the announcement on its Russian-language Telegram channel, accompanied by a video that appeared to show the diplomat leaving its building in Moscow.
As she did so, she was challenged by reporters and heckled by a Russian rent-a-mob who shouted: ‘Britain is a terrorist country.’
Others carried signs reading ‘Where are the Skripals?’ – a reference to Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, victims of the Russian-engineered Salisbury poisonings, who now live under new identities in Britain – and ‘London sows death’.
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow yesterday
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Telegram: ‘On January 15, the British Chargé d’Affaires in Russia, D. Dholakia, was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and lodged a strong protest against information received by Russian authorities regarding the affiliation of one of the embassy’s diplomatic staff with the British intelligence services.
‘D. Dholakia was informed that, in light of this, and in accordance with Article 9 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, this individual’s accreditation was revoked. He must leave the Russian Federation within two weeks.’
It continued: ‘It was reiterated that Moscow will not tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence officers in Russia.
‘It was stated that Russia’s uncompromising position on this matter will continue to be implemented in accordance with the national security interests of our country.
‘A warning was also issued that if London escalates the situation, the Russian side will give a decisive “mirror” response.’
Danae Dholakia arrived in Moscow as the Deputy Head of Mission to Russia in June 2025, according to an official Government biography, having previously served in diplomatic roles in China and in several parts of Africa.
She also served as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s deputy director, and held roles in the Home Office, Nato and the European Union; prior to becoming a civil servant she worked for NGOs.