On Friday, Russia’s FSB security service announced it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow, accusing them of espionage and sabotage. This move reflects the Kremlin’s frustration with Britain’s role in supporting Ukraine.

The expulsion came just hours before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden were set to discuss Ukraine support and the potential use of Western missiles against Russian targets. President Vladimir Putin warned that such actions would escalate the conflict by turning the West into a direct combatant against Russia.

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The FSB, which succeeded the Soviet KGB, claimed to have evidence that a British Foreign Office department was responsible for escalating the political and military situation against Russia and aiming for its defeat in the Ukraine war. The FSB’s statement described the diplomats’ activities as threatening to Russian security.

The expelled diplomats were identified on Russian state TV, with surveillance footage showing them meeting individuals and engaging in covert activities. The FSB warned that further British diplomats might also be expelled if similar activities are discovered.

The FSB accused the British diplomats of recruiting Russian teenagers, organizing provocations, and holding discussions with opposition figures, alleging that their actions aimed to create divisions within Russian society. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the British embassy for exceeding diplomatic norms and conducting actions harmful to Russia.