UK to expel Russian attache over Moscow’s ‘dangerous activities’

British government terms Maxim Elovik an ‘undeclared military intelligence officer’ as Russia promises an ‘appropriate response’.

The British government says it will expel Russia’s defence attache over spying allegations as part of several measures targeting Moscow’s intelligence-gathering operations in the United Kingdom.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said on Wednesday the measures were aimed at what he called the “reckless and dangerous activities of the Russian government across Europe”.

The latest round of measures will boot the attache, Maxim Elovik, a Russian colonel whom the government termed an “undeclared military intelligence officer”. It will also rescind the diplomatic status of several Russian-owned properties because they are believed to have been used for intelligence purposes, and impose new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas and visits.

“In the coming days we should expect accusations of Russophobia, conspiracy theories and hysteria from the Russian government,” Cleverly said in Parliament. “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.”

The Russian embassy in London responded by saying that British restrictions against Russia had been imposed under a “groundless and ridiculous pretext”, and it promised “an appropriate response”, Russian state news agency TASS reported.