Russian diplomats gain unauthorized access to restricted UK Parliament area

The Guardian reported that a small group of diplomats from the Russian embassy joined a public tour of the Houses of Parliament. At some point, they separated from the tour and entered a restricted area of the House of Lords. Security soon detected them and removed them from the premises.

“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,” a parliamentary source said.

Following the incident, MPs and their colleagues received a written warning from the speakers of both houses not to invite Russian diplomats to Parliament.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian ambassador, diplomats, and embassy staff in London have been banned from visiting the UK Parliament.

• On Thursday, January 16, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in the capital of Ukraine on an official visit. Along with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they signed an agreement on a 100-year partnership.