UK expels Russian attaché amid espionage claims, Russia vows retaliation
As announced on Wednesday by Home Secretary James Cleverly, Colonel Maxim Yelovik, a Russian military attaché, was expelled from the United Kingdom. This move elicited an immediate response from the Russian Foreign Ministry, with spokesperson Maria Zakharova warning, "Our response will be harsh and balanced."
The British government decided to expel Yelovik in response to his alleged involvement in espionage activities on behalf of Russia within the country. This decision seems to be connected to the recent charge against a 20-year-old British man accused of acting for Russia.
"We will not tolerate this evident escalation"
In his speech in the House of Commons, Cleverly explained that expelling the Russian attaché was a reaction to the "reckless and dangerous actions of the Russian government across Europe". He emphatically stated that the UK's measures are intended to "clearly show Russia that this evident escalation will not be tolerated".
Cleverly told the House of Commons that Britain expelled the Russian defense attaché, whom he described as an undeclared military intelligence officer. Additionally, the UK plans to strip several Russian-owned properties in the country of their diplomatic status, as they were allegedly used for intelligence purposes. Among these properties are Seacocks House in Sussex and Highgate's trade and defense section building.
Furthermore, Cleverly mentioned that the UK has also imposed new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, limiting the duration Russian diplomats can stay in the UK. He also noted that the Russian ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office to be briefed on these decisions.
According to "The Independent," Yelovik has likely been in the UK since at least 2014, previously serving as the deputy military attaché of Russia in Washington.
Sky News highlighted that recently, the rhetoric of the UK and other European countries regarding Russia's alleged hostile activities on their territories has escalated. This escalation may have been spurred by the case of 20-year-old Dylan Earl, accused of setting fire to warehouses in London storing aid for Ukraine, allegedly on behalf of the Russian Wagner group.
Immediate response from Russia
Following the attaché's expulsion announcement, both Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and the Russian embassy in London stated that Russia would provide an "appropriate response" to the UK's actions.
"We are compelled to observe that the British government not only continues to provoke Russia but also significantly escalates the level of confrontation," Zakharova remarked, also claiming that the UK "lacks evidence."
Outrageous statement from Zakharova
Additionally, Zakharova made scandalous comments regarding the massacre in Bucha, asserting, "With the active involvement of the British, a cynical disinformation campaign was orchestrated regarding the alleged mass murder of local villagers by Russian military personnel in Bucha. Supposedly, this campaign aimed to disrupt Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and trigger a package of prepared anti-Russian sanctions from the West. Bucha has since become a symbolic example of Ukrainian propaganda's cynicism, backed by Anglo-Saxon political strategies," Zakharova claimed.
She warned that London had been repeatedly advised that any hostile actions would provoke a proportional and inevitable response. "Our reaction will be harsh and balanced," she concluded.
