National security, but did not name any of the diplomats. It said the move was a measure against multiple unfriendly acts. Its not clear whether the diplomats are currently in russia. In response, the Foreign Office here in london says that russia had revoked the staff members diplomatic accreditation last months and that russias accusations against them were completely baseless. The statement adds that the uk was unapologetic about protecting its national interests. For the very latest on this developing story, i spoke to our eastern European Correspondent sarah rainsford. I think the timing of this is key, its not accidental that this has been released, that this is happening precisely as those discussions are taking place in washington about whether or not ukraine can use western long range missiles to strike inside russia. They are absolutely connected. Its interesting looking of a statement from the fsb, the russian security agency, talking about expelling essentially six members
News of these expulsions . Mat news of these expulsions . Not surprised. News of these expulsions . Not surprised, not news of these expulsions . Iirrt surprised, not really shocked. Sad on the bed. My understanding is from Whitehall Sources is that the expulsions actually took place last month and had more to do with a tit for Tat Retaliation between the uk and russia that has been going on for quite a long time. However, the timing of the announcement has everything to do with sir Keir Starmer s meetings in Washington Today and the apparently looming decision about allowing ukrainians to use british Storm Shadow missiles against actual russian territory as opposed to territory that russia has seized. So it is part of a coordinated russian Media Effort to discourage the uk from taking this step, but i think more importantly to try to discourage other allies from following the us lead or supporting it. And it is part of a very long running Action And Reaction cycle between russia and w
Eastern europe correspondent. She explaIned the tImIng of the announcement of the expulsIon. Yeah, I thInk Its faIr to say that the tImIng Is no accIdent. I thInk thIs Is quIte clearly, or the tImIng of the announcement certaInly Is quIte clearly lInked to those talks that are takIng place now over whether or not ukraIne should be allowed to use long range western mIssIles to fIre deep wIthIn russIa at targets there. So I thInk It Is a connected statement that weve seen today from the fsb, the SecurIty ServIce In russIa. Now, what theyre sayIng Is that they have expelled or removed the accredItatIon from sIx brItIsh dIplomats at the brItIsh embassy In moscow, who they were accusIng of IntellIgence actIvItIes and subversIve actIons. But I thInk Its the language around that whIch Is perhaps more IndIcatIve, because what the fsb Is claImIng Is that the brItIsh government, the brItIsh ForeIgn OffIce, Is specIfIcally engaged In subversIon In russIa. It says theres an entIre department whIch
The teenage Banksy - whose real identity is former public schoolboy Robin Gunningham - is shown clowning around with classmates during a ski trip in the mid 1980s.