Surveillance, harassment and unwelcome visits -the life of British diplomats in Moscow

THEY face a constant barrage of harassment from the moment they land in Moscow, ranging from break-ins to their apartments whilst at work to outright confrontation and intimation on the streets. But Britain’s diplomats are a hardy bunch, specially-briefed about the challenges that volunteering for one of most tense postings will bring. And, crucially, they are taught how to deal with them.

The Foreign Office’s decision on Wednesday to expel one Russian diplomat and the spouse of another was in direct reprisal to Moscow’s decisions to eject two British diplomats over spurious “spying” charges a week earlier. Both capitals have been playing the game of embassy table-tennis with increased vigour as tensions over increase. Seven British diplomats have been expelled from over the last 12 months alone.

But there is another dimension which has been played out more quietly.

It is pervasive, intrusive and intended to psychologically unsettle diplomats of any rank to the point that they cease to function properly and, ultimately, leave.

Just as Russian ambassador Andrei Kelin is no stranger to a Whitehall summons, ’s tactics of coercion are steeped in inglorious tradition, stemming back to the Cold War.

It begins with a rigorous and forensic analysis by the FSB of every British diplomat posted to Moscow. Personal circumstances are assessed and potential vulnerabilities divined.

Are they seasoned or relatively inexperienced, young or old, a man or a woman, single or married? Do they speak Russian?

Eventually, attempts are made to establish sexual orientation and potential proclivities. is a surveillance state, and even the most personal of details are dug for over time. Despite its costly war, there is no shortage of intelligence officers, agents and assets to do the state’s bidding.

The harassment begins quickly, and is deliberately overt.

Diplomats who choose to escape the British Embassy’s compound near the Novoarbatsky Bridge, which boasts 31 flats of varying sizes, can expect to be followed to and from their way to their supposedly private apartments downtown.

In 2007, former British ambassador Sir Tony Brenton fell victim to a three-month harassment campaign by the fanatical pro-Kremlin youth group, Nashi (“our own”).

They followed him everywhere, bombarded his car with leaflets, heckled him at meetings and only ceased at the instruction of .

That spirit of accommodation soon ended, when Putin delivered his infamous speech at the Munich security conference declaring the end of the so-called unipolar world.

In some cases the intimidation can be physically threatening, with diplomats publicly accosted on the streets by rent-a-mobs.

Even crossing the embassy borders in the morning offers scant comfort, because that’s when Moscow’s agents, stooges and commissioned criminals get to work, breaking into empty diplomatic apartments to leave deliberate calling cards: an unflushed lavatory, a broken ornament, a rearranged flower vase.

Icelandic diplomats – because all Nato members are targeted – have recalled coming home to find all their windows open in the middle of winter, or a cigarette burn on the sofa.

One female Icelandic diplomat, known to be a vegetarian, even opened her fridge to find a steak sitting on the shelf.

Their message is clear: we know where you live, we can enter when we please and we are watching.

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The Foreign Office is well- practised in preparing diplomats for challenges ahead.

It begins at the selection process, where candidates are asked about their motivation for applying for a three-year posting in Moscow.

Is it for adventure or public service? Do they understand what the FCDO stands for, the values it espouses, and why their role matters? While there are no right or wrong answers, with no formal psychological evaluations the reply and how it’s delivered provides a key signpost.

Once selected, the real briefings begin. is viewed as one of the FCDO’s most rewarding postings but it is also one of the most difficult outside of conflict zones, and diplomats are left under no illusions as to what challenges they will be facing.

If there’s time, they are offered Russian lessons to better integrate and understand the country. Russian speakers usually top Moscow’s expulsion list because English-only speakers are less effective.

The Foreign Office’s security team provides comprehensive training to survive a surveillance state. ranging from basic cyber and phone security to dealing with “honey traps”.

Some brutal home truths are given: if you are a balding, greying and slightly paunchy 50-year-old man, for instance, you must own it. Ask yourself why a beautiful or handsome 22-year-old is really showing interest in you. Know the answer and be suspicious of every approach, either in person or through social media messaging.

Once in post, pastoral care is the Ambassador’s priority and it is a stream which runs downhill, percolating through every level. Diplomats are checked upon constantly, Are they content? Do they have problems?

And what of spouses who, in most cases, have not received the same comprehensive training?

Losing a spouse who succumbs to the pressure may mean losing the diplomat as well, said one diplomat last night.

The reason that expelling a spouse is so effective is because it can be a “two-for-one hit.”

Former British ambassador to Sir Laurie Bristow recognises the described incidents only too well.

As head of mission in 2018, he oversaw the biggest spate of diplomatic expulsions between the two countries for decades, following the Salisbury poisonings.

Some 153 were by Western nations and 189 by . Of those, 23 were thrown out of the UK, while ejected 73 British diplomats and shut the British consulate in St Petersburg.

“Sadly, there’s nothing new about what the FSB in particular is doing – and they’re very effective,” he says.

“The whole point of it is to degrade the embassy’s ability to fight and even function, not to mention to lower morale and make it harder to encourage people to take a posting in Moscow. “

He adds: “But the Foreign Office is very good at ensuring people understand what kind of environment they’re going into, that they’re properly prepared and that the sort of support networks and safety nets are there.

“It’s a well-oiled machine.”