Russia Expels British Military Attache in Diplomatic Tit for Tat.
By Olusiji Balogun
In a move exacerbating already tense diplomatic relations on Thursday, Russia has declared Britain’s defense attache, Adrian Coghill, as “persona non grata,” ordering him to leave the Russian Federation within a week.
This decision follows the UK’s expulsion of Russia’s defense attache earlier this month, whom they accused of undisclosed military intelligence involvement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement, asserting: “He must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within a week.” The decision came after the UK’s allegations of Russia sponsoring espionage and hacking activities against British officials over several years.
According to reports, the properties linked to Russia, including the Russian-owned Seacox Heath property in Sussex and the Russian embassy’s trade and defense section in Highgate, were allegedly utilized for intelligence purposes. Additionally, the UK accused Russia of supporting a Bulgarian spy ring in Britain and orchestrating hacking attacks against UK parliamentarians, along with leaking UK-US trade documents.
In response to the UK’s actions, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned of further retaliatory steps against the British diplomatic mission in Russia. They stated that “the initiators of the escalation will be informed about further retaliatory steps.”
Diplomatic relations between the two nations have been strained since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the novichok poisoning incident in Salisbury in 2018, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The UK’s support for Ukraine, including providing weapons and intelligence, has exacerbated tensions further.
Earlier this month, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated that Ukraine had the right to utilize British weapons, including long-range precision strike missiles, within Russian territory, citing Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Russia responded to these remarks and similar suggestions by French President Emmanuel Macron about potential NATO troop deployment to Ukraine with tactical nuclear drills in regions bordering Ukraine.
The expulsion coincides with a recent shake-up in the Russian defense ministry, with President Putin appointing Andrei Belousov as defense minister. Analysts interpret this move as a preparation for a prolonged war of attrition in Ukraine.
Putin, accompanied by Belousov and former defense minister Sergei Shoigu, is currently on a state visit to China, where discussions are anticipated to include military cooperation and security matters
