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Britain has condemned Russia’s “shameful behaviour” after its diplomats were targeted in an apparent Kremlin stunt at a Moscow airport.
Tom Dodd, the deputy ambassador to Russia, was swarmed by a crowd of people claiming to be protesters and journalists when he landed with his colleagues late on Tuesday.
Footage taken at Vnukovo airport shows a visibly frustrated Mr Dodd grabbing a press pass from one alleged reporter and ripping up a protester’s placard.
The clips were widely circulated across Russian state media along with accusations he was “aggressive” and “assaulted” the group.
A Foreign Office spokesman told The Telegraph that the incident “matches a persistent pattern of shameful behaviour by the Kremlin against UK diplomats in Russia”.
“Intimidation will not deter our staff from promoting international stability and UK interests around the world,” it said.
In the videos, a man demands Mr Dodd comment on his “involvement in anti-Russian actions” and the deputy ambassador responds by pulling a press badge from a lanyard around his neck.
As Mr Dodd then tries to make his way through the scrum of cameras, the man says in English: “Why are you doing that? Why did you take away my badge? That is illegal in this country.”
The diplomat returns the press pass but is then seen pushing a camera away from him and ripping up a cardboard placard held by a so-called protester as he exited the airport.
Another clip showed other members of the British delegation surrounded by alleged protesters outside the airport holding signs bearing slogans in English, reading: “You are not diplomats, you are spies” and “Stop waging war.”
The right to protest is heavily restricted in Russia and demonstrating without the permission of the authorities carries a maximum penalty of 15 days in detention, with a prison sentence of up to five years for three breaches.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, almost all independent media has been banned, blocked or declared “foreign agents” or “undesirable organisations”, according to press advocacy NGO Reporters Without Borders.
Russian media accused Mr Dodd of assaulting the journalists, with RT reporting the British diplomats were “speaking primarily about the weather and ignoring questions about more pressing matters”.
Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesman, condemned Mr Dodd’s behaviour saying: “The British authorities and their diplomats in Moscow must finally realise they should reserve their neocolonialist habits for their own journalists at home.”
Mr Dodd has been deployed to Moscow as a British minister and deputy head of mission since 2022.
The incident comes amid an ongoing diplomatic tit-for-tat between London and Moscow.
Last month, Russia revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow on accusations of espionage.
The FSB domestic spy agency said it had documents showing that part of the Foreign Office was helping coordinate “the escalation of the political and military situation” in Ukraine.
The Foreign Office called the accusations “baseless”.
In May, the British government removed diplomatic status from several Russian-owned UK buildings and expelled Moscow’s defence attache, accusing him of being an undeclared intelligence officer.
London and Moscow also recently clashed over the potential use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine. With a range of at least 190 miles, they could be used to target military targets deep inside Russia.
