STORY
Russia has withdrawn its ambassador to the United Kingdom, with no replacement yet announced as relations between London and Moscow remain severely strained over the war in Ukraine. Andrey Kelin left Britain last month after seven years in the post and his name has now been removed from the diplomatic list published by the Russian embassy.
The embassy’s list of senior diplomatic staff currently names Vasily Tsyganov as chargé d’affaires. A Russian embassy spokesperson said no candidate had yet been put forward to replace Kelin and accused the UK Government of pursuing a confrontational approach towards Russia. Kelin joined the Soviet diplomatic service in 1979 and had served as ambassador in London since 2019.
The change comes amid renewed tension over British support for Ukraine. The Russian embassy warned of consequences last week after reports that attack drones made by British companies had been used by Ukrainian forces against targets inside Russia. UK defence sources indicated that reports concerning the British-made drones were accurate, while the Government has maintained its support for Ukraine.