Russian diplomats accessed restricted area of UK parliament, The Guardian reports
Pravda Ukraine
Russian diplomats briefly entered a restricted area of the UK Parliament during a public tour in December 2024, sparking concerns over security protocols.
Source: The Guardian, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The Guardian reported that a “small group” of Russian diplomats from the Russian Embassy participated in a public tour of the UK Parliament. During the tour, the diplomats reportedly separated from the group and entered the restricted area of the House of Lords. They were discovered and escorted out by security personnel.
Quote from parliamentary source: “We suspect they were just wanting to crow to the Kremlin that they had infiltrated the British parliament. It’s not ideal but they were caught before any damage was done. “
Details: Following the incident, members of parliament and their staff received a formal warning from the speakers of both chambers, urging them not to invite Russian diplomats to parliament.
Quote:“As the formally accredited representative of the Russian government, the Russian ambassador should not be welcomed on to the parliamentary estate until further notice. This applies to all other Russian diplomats and officials at the Russian embassy accredited to the UK.”
More details: Russian diplomats, including the ambassador, have been barred from visiting the UK Parliament since 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Additional restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats were imposed in 2023 in response to similar measures by Moscow.
Background:
- The UK government warned that Russia is poised to launch a “wave of cyberattacks” against the UK, and it can “turn the lights off for millions of people”.
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