Russia Expels UK Diplomat After Accusing Him of Espionage
Moscow, Russia – January 15, 2026
Russia has ordered the expulsion of a British diplomat, identified as Gareth Samuel Davies, accusing him of working undercover for British intelligence and demanding he leave the country within two weeks.
In a statement, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said its counterintelligence work had uncovered that Davies, born on August 8, 1980, was operating as an undeclared intelligence officer under the diplomatic cover of second secretary of the administrative and economic department at the British Embassy in Moscow.
Moscow’s Foreign Ministry revoked Davies’ accreditation and summoned the UK’s deputy head of mission, Danae Dholakia, to formally communicate the decision.
The statement asserted that Russia would not “tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence personnel” on its territory and warned of a decisive mirror response should London escalate the situation.
The move marks the latest in a series of diplomatic expulsions between the two countries, which have periodically dismissed one another’s diplomats as alleged spies amid strained relations since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The UK Foreign Office has rejected the allegations as “malicious and baseless,” claiming that accusations against British diplomats undermine the conditions necessary for diplomatic missions to function and said it is “carefully considering” its response.
This incident follows similar actions by Russia in previous years, including the expulsion of British embassy staff in 2025 over allegation of espionage that London also dismissed claiming it as unfounded.
Negotiations and diplomatic exchanges between Russia and the United Kingdom are expected to continue as both sides assess the implications of the expulsion for bilateral relations and embassy operations.
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