Russia has revoked the accreditation of two British diplomats over alleged intelligence activities, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Monday, the latest in a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic rebukes that was quickly dismissed by London as “baseless.

Russia accused two British diplomats of spying on Monday and gave them two weeks to leave the country, maintaining the downward trajectory of diplomatic relations with Europe even as it negotiates to restore ties with the United States.

The Bulgarian unit’s leader was Orlin Roussev, 47, who with his deputy Biser Dzhambazov, 43, and another man, Ivan Stoyanov, pleaded guilty to spying for Russia shortly before the trial, admitting charges of conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy.

Two diplomats from the UK have been ordered to leave Russia within two weeks. This was announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry in its Telegram channel.

Russia accused two British diplomats on Monday of spying and gave them two weeks to leave the country, reinforcing the downward trajectory of Moscow's diplomatic relations with Europe even as it negotiates to restore ties with the United States.

A representative of the British embassy has also been summoned over the case, Russia's foreign ministry said on Monday. In the past year alone, there have been seven British diplo