Russian defence attaché to be expelled from Britain in spying and interference storm

James Cleverly visit to Lampedusa

Russia’s defence attaché will be expelled from Britain in a crackdown on foreign state interference, Home Secretary James Cleverly announced on Wednesday.

He told the Commons restrictions were being put on Russian diplomats after a suspected arson attack on a Ukraine-linked business in the UK.

Five men were arrested in relation to alleged offences relating to hostile activity in the UK in order to benefit Russia, he added.

Mr Cleverly warned that Britain and other nations in Europe would not tolerate interference of this type from Russia, warning of a “pattern of suspected activity” by Vladimir Putin’s regime across the Continent.

They included “malign activity” by Russia against aid to Ukraine in Germany and Poland, and spying in Italy and Bulgaria, cyber attacks and air space violations.

“We must wait for the ongoing criminal cases across Europe including here in the UK to conclude,” he added.

“But given these allegations, the Government will not wait to take further action to send a strong deterrent message to Russia and to further reduce the Russian intelligence service’s ability to threaten the UK.

“That is why today, in conjunction with the Foreign Secretary, I’m announcing a package of measures to make clear to Russia that we will not tolerate such apparent escalations.

“So I can tell the House, that we will expel the Russian defence attache who is an undeclared military intelligence officer.

“We will remove diplomatic premises status from several Russian owned-properties in the UK including Seacox House, a Russian-owned property in Sussex and the trade and defence section in Highgate which we believe have been used for intelligence purposes.

“And we are imposing new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas including capping the length of time that Russian diplomats can spend in the UK.”

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said Labour “wholeheartedly” supports the Government’s new package of measures against Russia.

She said: “We echo the Home Secretary’s strong condemnation of Russian interference and hostile activity here in the UK and throughout Europe.

“Repeatedly, we have seen a brazen disregard by Russia for the rule of law, for the UK, for our allies, for our domestic security.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Government in our support for Ukraine. Any change in Government will not change that strong cross-party support. As we stand with our allies, Putin must be defeated in Ukraine and Britain must stand full square behind our Ukrainian friends.

Moscow will make accusations of Russophobia and spread conspiracy theories in response to the UK’s latest actions, Mr Cleverly claimed.

The Home Secretary said: “In the coming days we should expect accusations of Russophobia, conspiracy theories and hysteria from the Russian government.

“This is not new and the British people and the British Government will not fall for it, and will not be taken for fools by Putin’s bots, trolls and lackeys.

“Russia’s explanation was totally inadequate. Our response will be resolute and firm.

“Our message to Russia is clear: stop this illegal war, withdraw your troops from Ukraine, cease this malign activity.”

Russian agents have been blamed for other attacks in Britain.

They include the targeting of former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal with the Novichok military grade nerve agent in Salisbury in March 2018, and the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who became a British citizen and was fatally poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 in London in 2006.

Last week, NATO members said they were “deeply concerned” about recent attacks they attributed to Russia that affected the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Britain.

In April, a British man was charged over alleged hostile state activity intended to benefit Russia, including by allegedly recruiting others for an arson attack on a Ukrainian-linked commercial property in London.

On Wednesday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said British allegations of Russian involvement in the arson attack were absurd and part of an information war.

Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Cleverly said Britain was already “an extremely challenging operating environment for Russian intelligence services” but the measures would “only serve to strengthen our resilience to the Russian threat”.

Britain has introduced several waves of sanctions on Russian companies and individuals since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the Home Secretary said the Government would not falter in its support of Kyiv.

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