Russia bans British Council, accuses UK of covert destabilization

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Jun 2025 11:25

Russian authorities claim the British Council's cultural and academic programs are used to interfere in Russia’s internal affairs and influence public opinion.

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The newly-unveiled statue of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, is seen outside the headquarters of the British Council, in central London, Thursday, July 14, 2011. (AP)

Russia has officially designated the British Council as an “undesirable” organization, accusing the UK-based cultural and educational institution of acting as a front for British intelligence operations aimed at undermining Russian sovereignty.

The announcement was made Thursday by Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office, which stated that the British Council, despite presenting itself as an independent body, operates “in accordance with the priorities of the UK government” and is “accountable to the parliament and financed by the Foreign Ministry of this country.”

The designation, part of a broader crackdown on foreign influence, prohibits the British Council from operating within Russian territory. Authorities said the organization’s programs and activities serve the strategic objectives of the UK state. The move escalates already tense Russia-UK geopolitical relations, with Moscow continuing to frame British soft power initiatives as veiled instruments of subversion.

Russian security officials further warned that the UK’s cultural diplomacy is being used to shape attitudes among Russian youth through the academic sector, a space they claim is particularly vulnerable to foreign influence.

FSB accuses the UK of covert operations through academia

In a parallel statement, the Federal Security Service (FSB) urged allied countries to mirror Russia’s action and terminate British Council activities within their own borders. The FSB accused the UK of deploying agents of influence, using the British Council as a key platform for gathering intelligence and destabilizing foreign states under the guise of cultural engagement.

According to the agency, British Council personnel have cultivated contacts across Russian regions to extract sensitive information related to domestic political and socio-economic conditions, particularly in the context of the ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

The FSB linked these activities to broader UK intelligence efforts, drawing comparisons to the now-banned Oxford Russia Fund. Russian officials claim that academics in at least four regions had engaged with British-linked entities “to the detriment of the security of Russia.”

“They [the British] traditionally consider representatives of the scientific community as the most promising object for their influence,” the FSB stated, citing the role of academics in educating the next generation of Russian citizens “in the right way for London.”

Escalating tensions in Russia-UK relations

The FSB went further, characterizing the United Kingdom as “the main source of global crises,” accusing it of orchestrating coups and prolonging wars to maintain geopolitical dominance. In a televised statement, a senior FSB representative said the UK “organizes coups d’état, weakens not only its geopolitical opponents but also its closest allies, sets nations against each other, and does not allow the bloody conflicts it has unleashed to be resolved.”

The agency also claimed to possess documents proving that the British government uses “agents of influence to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.”

These developments come amid rising hostility between Moscow and London, further deepening the rupture in bilateral relations.

As the British Council joins a growing list of foreign entities barred from operating in Russia, the FSB’s call for a broader international response underscores the Kremlin’s intent to push back against perceived Western interference.