The U.K. expelled a top Russian envoy and imposed new restrictions on the country’s diplomats, in one of the most high-profile responses yet to what allied officials describe as a coordinated espionage campaign to weaken support for Ukraine.
Home Secretary James Cleverly announced the actions in Parliament on Wednesday, saying the U.K. would deport Russia’s defense attache on the grounds that he was an undeclared spy. He said would also limit the amount of time the country’s diplomats can spend in the U.K., as well as strip some Russian-owned properties — including its defense section in London’s Highgate area and a 19th century country house south of the capital — of diplomatic protection.
The actions come in response to a suspected arson attack against Ukrainian-linked properties in East London and other espionage activities in Britain and Europe, Cleverly said.