Russian ambassador to the UK withdrawn as Kremlin ratchets up pressure

What the Russian ambassador's exit signals

A spokesperson said the Kremlin concluded his mission on 21 July, the Guardian reported.

Kelin's name no longer appears on the embassy's diplomatic list, and Russia's roster of senior diplomatic staff in the UK now names only Vasily A. Tsyganov, left in charge.

The embassy warned last week of "consequences" after it emerged Britain was supplying attack drones to Kyiv, and said no replacement candidate had yet been put forward.

A gap between ambassadors is not unprecedented, said John Foreman, a former British defence attaché in Moscow and Kyiv, but writing on X he questioned whether Moscow intends to leave the post vacant:

"The embassy's strident ‘consequences' statement this week and the huge deterioration of bilateral relations since 2018 and especially since the start of the war make me wonder if Moscow will permanently downgrade the relationship this time, by default by not replacing him."

A spokesperson said relations "have deteriorated to an unprecedentedly low level entirely on London's initiative."

He told the Sunday Times that Kelin had tried to preserve channels of communication while accusing the government of choosing a "path of confrontation".

The embassy later said nothing in the comments implied Russia intended to downgrade diplomatic relations.

The withdrawal follows a run of flashpoints between London and Moscow, from a Russian missile landing inside Poland to the night RAF jets were scrambled towards a suspected Russian bomber.