A top British diplomat in Russia has been accused of espionage and ordered to leave the country.

Named by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) as Wilkes Edward Prior, the second secretary of the political department of the British Embassy in Moscow has been stripped of his accreditation and ordered to leave Russia.

The FSB accused Prior of engaging in 'intelligence and subversive work that threatens the security of Russia' and claimed he had provided false information when applying for permission to enter the country.

It also said that Prior was secretly cooperating with British intelligence services, with the FSB accusing him of espionage.

The Russian Foreign Ministry ordered him to leave Russia within two weeks.

The ministry summoned the British Ambassador to Russia Nigel Casey on November 26, where he spent about an hour, with footage showing him arriving and leaving the ministry without responding to questions from reporters.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that during the meeting, it had 'lodged a protest' with Casey. It added in a statement: 'The British Ambassador was once again reminded that Moscow will not tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence operatives on Russian soil.

'A firm stance on this matter will be maintained in line with Russia's national security interests.

'Furthermore, if London escalates the situation, Russia will promptly issue a 'reciprocal' response. '

The FSB noted that Prior had recently replaced one of the six British diplomats expelled from Russia in August.

The Russian intelligence agency had also accused them of 'intelligence and subversive work' and stripped them of their accreditation.

The British Embassy in Moscow, in turn, has called the accusations 'ridiculous' and said that they are part of a 'campaign to discredit' London.

British diplomats are sent to Russia through the Directorate for Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the UK Foreign Office.

In September, the FSB claimed that after the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the structure was reorganised into a 'special service' tasked with 'defeating Russia.'