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Russia expels 23 British diplomats in retaliation as diplomatic spat over Sergei Skripal poisoning intensifies Russia expels 23 British diplomats in retaliation as diplomatic spat over Sergei Skripal poisoning intensifies
(35 minutes later)
Russia has announced it will expel 23 British diplomats in response to the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from Britain.Russia has announced it will expel 23 British diplomats in response to the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from Britain.
The move marks the latest development in the diplomatic spat over the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury on 4 March.The move marks the latest development in the diplomatic spat over the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury on 4 March.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday morning that the 23 diplomatic representatives of the British Embassy in Moscow should leave Russia within a week. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday morning that the 23 diplomatic representatives of the British Embassy in Moscow should leave Russia within a week. 
The ministry also said all activities by the British Council, the UK's international organisation for cultural relations, would cease in Russia. The ministry also said all activities by the British Council, the UK's international organisation for cultural relations, would cease in Russia and that the planned reopening of the British consulate in St Petersburg would no longer go ahead.
Shortly before the announcement, British ambassador to Russia, Laurie Bristow, was summoned to the foreign ministry for talks. The ministry warned that Russia could take further measures if Britain takes any more "unfriendly actions" against the country.
The retaliation from Russia comes four days after Theresa May announced that 23 Russian diplomats would be expelled from Britain after Russia missed a deadline to provide an explanation for the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Shortly before the announcement, British ambassador to Russia, Laurie Bristow, was summoned to the foreign ministry for talks, where he learned of the retaliation measures.
  As he left the ministry, Mr Bristow said: "This crisis has arisen as a result of an appalling attack in the UK, the attempted murder of two people using a chemical weapon developed in Russia and not declared by Russia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as Russia is obliged to do under the Chemical Weapons Act." 
  "We gave Russia the opportunity to explain how the material got to Salisbury and we asked Russia to declare that material to the OPCW. Russia did neither, therefore we announced certain steps."
  Echoing the words of Mr Johnson and Ms May earlier this week, Mr Bristow stressed the UK has no dispute with ordinary Russians but said "we will always do what is necessary to defend ourselves, our allies and our values against an attack of this sort."
  The retaliation from Russia comes four days after Theresa May announced that 23 Russian diplomats would be expelled from Britain after Russia missed a deadline to provide an explanation for the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Both remain critically ill in hospital.
In her speech on Wednesday, Ms May also said the UK would step up sanctions on Russia and threatened to freeze "hostile" Russian state assets. She also declared an intention to work against "suspicious" Russian money in the UK. 
Russia has continued to dismiss accusations of Russian culpability for the attack and to deny possessing Novichok, the nerve agent used in the incident.
On Friday, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering the poisoning, saying it was "overwhelmingly likely" Mr Putin personally ordered the assassination attempt.
Dmitry Peskov, Russian presidential press secretary, responded to the verbal escalation with a further denial of the state's involvement.
"Any reference or mention of our President in this connection is nothing but a shocking and unforgivable violation of the diplomatic rules of propriety," Mr Peskov said.
He said it had become "obvious that there is a lack of any clear proof" of Russian involvement.
The country has demanded access to the case and opened its own investigation into the attempted murders. It said it would not respond to Ms May's allegations until it was given samples of the poison used and such samples were handed to the international OPCW. 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed earlier in the week that a request from Russia to access the case materials, including a sample of the poison, had gone unanswered by Britain.
Downing Street announced on Friday evening that Britain had invited OPCW experts to "come to the UK and take a sample". A spokesperson said they expected this process to begin "imminently".