UK expels Russian attaché amid espionage claims, Moscow vows retaliation

Colonel Maxim Yelovik, a Russian military attaché, was expelled from the United Kingdom, announced on Wednesday by the Home Secretary, James Cleverly. This was met with an immediate response from the Russian Foreign Ministry: "Our response will be harsh and balanced," said Maria Zakharova.

The British government decided to expel Yelovik in response to alleged espionage activities on behalf of Russia within the country. This decision is likely linked to the recent accusation of a 20-year-old British man acting for Russia.

New restrictions on Russia

During his speech in the House of Commons, Cleverly stated that the decision to expel the Russian attaché is a response to reckless and dangerous actions of the Russian government across Europe. He added that the UK government took steps that will clearly show Russia that we will not tolerate this evident escalation.

Cleverly informed the House of Commons that Britain expelled the Russian defence attaché, who, he claims, is an undeclared military intelligence officer. The UK government also plans to remove diplomatic status from several properties owned by Russia in the country, which—according to the government—were used for intelligence purposes. Among them are Seacocks House, a property owned by Russia in Sussex, and the trade and defence section building in Highgate.

They have cleverly added that the UK government also imposed new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, including limiting the time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK. He also said the Russian ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office to inform him of these decisions.

According to information given by "The Independent", Yelovik has likely been in the UK since at least 2014. Previously, he served as the deputy military attaché of Russia in Washington.

Sky News noted that in recent weeks, the rhetoric of the UK and other European countries towards the alleged hostile activity of Russia on their territories has intensified. It was suggested that the decision to expel the attaché could have been caused by the case of 20-year-old Dylan Earl, who was accused of setting fire to warehouses in London, where aid for Ukraine was stored, on behalf of the Russian Wagner group.

In response to the announcement of the attaché's expulsion, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and the Russian embassy in London declared that Russia would provide an "appropriate response" to the UK's decision.

"We are forced to note that the British government not only does not intend to stop provoking Russia but also makes significant efforts to increase the level of confrontation," stated Zakharova, adding that the UK "has no evidence for this."

Scandalous words about the massacre in Bucha also came from the mouth of the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman. "With the active participation of the British, a cynical disinformation campaign was organized and launched about the alleged mass murder of local villagers by Russian military personnel in Bucha. As known, the staging aimed to disrupt Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and launch a prepared package of anti-Russian sanctions from the West. Subsequently, Bucha became a domestic symbol of the cynicism of Ukrainian propaganda, which Anglo-Saxon political strategists patronize," Zakharova claimed.

She added that London had been repeatedly warned that all unfriendly actions would meet with an inevitable proportional response. "Our reaction will be harsh and balanced," she concluded.