UK cabinet ministers barred from visiting Russia amid missile row

Russia has imposed entry restrictions on several cabinet ministers, including Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper, and Rachel Reeves, as part of new sanctions declared by the foreign affairs ministry in Moscow.

Over a dozen senior Labour politicians are included in the group of 30 British citizens who have been added to Russia's "stop list." This development comes amid escalating tensions between London and Moscow, particularly after Ukraine utilized British missiles to launch attacks further into Russian territory.

Moscow announced the expulsion of a British diplomat, claiming involvement in spying activities. This move is part of an ongoing cycle of reciprocal expulsions that highlight the tense relations that have developed since Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

This week, the UK introduced new sanctions targeting 30 oil tankers linked to Russia's "shadow fleet" in an effort to cut off funding for Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

The Russian government announced that it is adding politicians, military leaders, journalists, and individuals from the tech sector to its “stop list” due to what it describes as ongoing and hostile anti-Russian statements from the UK authorities.

Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, and David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, have both been prohibited from entering Russia. They were included in a similar list of 39 prominent British politicians, business leaders, and journalists back in 2022.

On Tuesday, Russia's internal intelligence agency, the FSB, revealed that it had taken action based on allegations against a British diplomat, claiming involvement in activities that could jeopardize the nation's security and involve covert surveillance and sabotage.

It was stated that the diplomat "deliberately submitted inaccurate information when requesting permission to enter Russia, which goes against Russian regulations." According to Russian news outlets, the diplomat has been given a two-week notice to exit the country.

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) reported that the diplomat, whose image was prominently featured on Russian television news, had stepped in for one of six UK diplomats who were sent away in August due to similar spying allegations. At that time, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) stated that these claims were without merit.

The Russian foreign ministry announced that it had called in the British ambassador to Moscow, Nigel Casey.

A spokesperson for No 10 stated, “Let us be clear: we deny these claims. They have no foundation. We are currently evaluating how to respond.”

"This isn't the first instance of Putin's administration making unfounded and harmful allegations against our team."

In May, the UK sent away a high-ranking Russian defense official, claiming he was secretly serving as a military intelligence operative. In response, Russia instructed the British defense official to exit the country.

In September, Russia declared that it had withdrawn the credentials of six British diplomats, alleging that they were involved in espionage. This announcement came during Starmer's trip to Washington, where discussions were set to take place regarding the deployment of Storm Shadow missiles.

The representative stated, “The UK government stands firm in its commitment to safeguarding our national interests and will respond appropriately in time. Our embassy in Moscow will keep carrying out its vital mission in Russia to promote UK interests.”

Last week, tensions between Britain and Russia hit a new low when the UK decided to permit Ukraine to deploy Storm Shadow missiles against targets within Russia. This decision followed closely on the heels of President Joe Biden's agreement to provide Ukraine with the United States' long-range Atacms weapon.

The choice to allow the strikes came after over 10,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to Russia's border with Ukraine. Officials from the UK and the US indicated that this move marked a major increase in the ongoing conflict that has persisted for almost three years.

Kyiv has recently employed Storm Shadow missiles to target a command center in the village of Maryno located in the Kursk region. On Wednesday, Bloomberg revealed that the UK had dispatched several additional missiles to Ukraine several weeks prior.

At the same time, British forces have been summoned to assist the US Air Force in identifying those behind the drone flights over three military bases in England.

The USAF has confirmed that a few drones were seen flying at night over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, as well as RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

Just a few days later, officials confirmed that a few "drones" were seen near the three bases from Wednesday to Sunday.

A representative from the Ministry of Defence stated, "We treat threats with utmost seriousness and have strong security protocols in place at our defense locations. We are also backing the response from the US Air Force."