"He will have to leave the territory of the Russian Federation within a week," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that it had summoned the British ambassador and informed him of the decision. "Our reaction to the unfriendly and anti-Russian actions announced on May 8 by the British side will not be limited to this measure," the ministry added, promising further retaliation. On May 8, the UK denounced "malicious" and espionage activities it attributed to Moscow, announcing the expulsion of the Russian defense attaché in London, who it described as an "undeclared intelligence officer." A defense attaché is a member of the armed forces who serves in an embassy and represents their country's defense sector abroad. Russia reacted by saying the British decision was based on "pure lies." London also announced last week that several Russian properties on British soil, which the UK suspects were being used "for intelligence purposes," would lose their diplomatic status. Relations between Russia and the UK, one of the main supporters of Kyiv against the Russian aggression ongoing since February 2022, are particularly tense. In recent months, there have been several cases of alleged espionage in the UK involving Moscow. In late March, five Bulgarians were charged with spying for Russia. They pleaded not guilty. In late April, a 20-year-old British citizen was charged under the national security law after being accused of plotting to attack "Ukrainian-linked businesses." Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, arguing that it was protecting pro-Russian separatist minorities in the east and "denazifying" the neighboring country, which has been independent since 1991, after the breakup of the former Soviet Union, and which has been moving away from Moscow's sphere of influence and closer to Europe and the West. The war in Ukraine has already caused tens of thousands of deaths on both sides, and the two belligerents remain intransigent in their territorial positions and unwilling to make any negotiating concessions. Recent months have been marked by large-scale Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Kyiv's forces have targeted Russian territory near the border and in the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed in 2014. Now in its third year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been facing a shortage of soldiers, weapons, and ammunition, despite repeated promises of aid from Western allies. Read Also: US applies sanctions to Russians for arms deals with North Korea (Portuguese version)