Russia spy poisoning: 23 UK diplomats expelled from Moscow

Moscow is to expel 23 United Kingdom diplomats and shut down the British Council in Russia amid increasing tensions over a nerve agent attack against a former double agent and his daughter on British soil.

The Russian foreign ministry summoned the British ambassador on Saturday to inform him of the retaliatory action taken after the UK’s expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats.

But the Russian Federation has gone a step further and shut down all activities of the British Council, which promotes greater understanding of the UK and the English language. The foreign ministry said it would also close a consulate in St Petersburg.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia remain critically ill in hospital.

They were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire on March 4.

The UK government says they were poisoned with a nerve agent of a type developed by Russia called Novichok -- the Russian government denies any involvement in the attack.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the UK government would consider its next steps “in the coming days, alongside our allies and partners”.

Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images