"Unfortunately, the spy hysteria in the British society is aggravating. The content of such publications, which regularly appear in the British media with the connivance of the authorities, shows that the current Conservative government is increasing its efforts to create a 'toxic' image of the Russian Embassy in order to complicate our interaction with the British public as much as possible. Embassy staff travelling across the country is an absolutely normal, lawful and indispensable part of their work and daily life. Yet it is displayed as some kind of intelligence missions," the embassy’s spokesperson said, when asked to comment on the latest media reports.
Russian-UK relations have significantly deteriorated after the March poisoning incident in Salisbury with London accusing Moscow of being behind the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Russia has refuted the allegations and repeatedly pointed to the lack of evidence provided by London.
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The situation led to an international row, with scores of Russian diplomats being expelled from the United Kingdom and other EU countries. Moscow in response has expelled some UK diplomats from Russia.