Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Thursday accused British intelligence of using the British Council as a front to undermine the country. The agency claimed that university staff in four

Russian regions had collaborated with the UK-based cultural organisation.

The FSB, successor to the Soviet-era KGB, alleged that British intelligence exploited the British Council to erode Russian identity and build a network of foreign influence. It said 15 Russian citizens were formally warned over alleged cooperation and urged allied countries to ban the Council.

"Representatives of leading Russian universities worked with the British side to the detriment of national security," the FSB said.

The British Council, which defines itself as the UK’s international agency for cultural and educational exchange, has denied all accusations of espionage. In a statement, it called the claims false and expressed disappointment over Russia’s total ban on collaboration, effective from June 5.

“While political relations may shift, dialogue between people and institutions remains vital,” the Council said.

The British Council ceased operations in Russia in 2018 after being ordered to shut down. It was originally founded in 1934 to promote British influence abroad during the rise of fascism and communism.

British intelligence services have not commented on the latest allegations.

Meanwhile, as the war in Ukraine continues more than three years after the invasion began, Russia increasingly views the UK as its top adversary. Critics, particularly among the exiled Russian opposition, accuse President Vladimir Putin of tightening authoritarian control as tensions with the West grow. Photo by Edward, Wikimedia commons.