TWITTER WAR
Britain’s Foreign office goes to war with the Russian embassy… on social media
BRITAIN's Foreign Office is going to war with the Russian embassy on social media with a new dedicated campaign to garner support.
In a fresh video put out on their Facebook and Twitter pages this morning, it listed a string of aggressive behaviour's Russia has been behind in the last decade.
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The clip, which has Putin's face in the background on some shots, points the finger at them for a string of cyber attacks in Germany and Ukraine and for annexing the Crimea.
"The use of a nerve agent in Sailsbury follows a well-established pattern of Russian state aggression," it says.
Set to some seriously atmospheric music, it starts with the fact that Alexander Litvinenko was deliberately poisoned in London, and ends noting their violation of national airspace.
Today Theresa May kicked out 23 Russian spooks from the UK over the poisoning of a Russian spy - and promised more action to come.
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The clip has already racked up 73,000 views on Twitter, and 13,000 on Facbeook.
And tonight they released another video detailing the actions Mrs May has said she will take against Russia.
It will include:
- New laws to help Britain defend itself from all forms of hostile Russian activity
- Flights and goods from Russia will face extra checks to stop ill-gotten gains entering the UK
- All planned talks with Russian officials, including a visit from the foreign minister, are cancelled
- Assets belonging to Putin's government will be frozen to stop them being used for wrongdoing
- Suspected spies could be detained at Britain's borders like terrorists under new powers
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But the Russian Embassy on Twitter have long mocked Britain online back.
They're upping their game too... with photos.
And yesterday their account put out a string of messages reiterating again that they had no involvement in the spy posioning at all.
They used a message from a Kremlin spokesperson to accuse the media of being untrustworthy, and warned that any threats would result in a response.
The Sun Online revealed last week how Russian's state media and troll factories are bidding to undermine Britain's security by campaigning to sow division and chaos across the country.
Researchers have been able to monitor sinister Russian state-backed interference targeting Britain over the last three years.
Security expert Professor Anthony Glees, of the Oxford Intelligence group, told Sun Online: "Their campaigns on social and in state media are not about changing people's opinions but validating and reinforcing the views people already have."
After Theresa May's statement today, the Russians doubled down on their response too.
They put out messages saying that attempts to punish them was "an unprecedented, flagrant provocation that undermines the foundations of normal dialogue between our countries".
And they said Britain was doing this for "political ends".
What we know so far about the spy poisoning:
- Theresa May kicked out 23 Russian spooks today over the Sergei Skripal case and the UK has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council for an update.
- Pressure mounted on Jeremy Corbyn after he doubted British intelligence that Sergei Skripal was poisoned by Russia
- Today the Foreign Office updated travel advice and said Brits shouldn't comment 'publicly on political developments' and to be aware of anti-British sentiment or harassment
- Vladimir Putin ignored a deadline set by the PM to explain his involvement in the poisoning and instead warned Britain 'not to threaten a nuclear power'
- The Russian Foreign Minister said the actions were an 'unprecedented provocation' and would not be left unpunished
- Skripal and daughter Yulia remain in a critical condition in hospital after being exposed to a nerve agent in Salisbury on March 4.
- The cordon has now been extended 25 miles away to Gillingham, Dorset.
- Russian exiles have now been asked by cops to help identify a mystery couple aged between 35 and 40 seen close to Skripal and his daughter before they collapsed.
- Russian exile Nikolai Glushkov was discovered dead with 'strangulation marks' on his neck on Monday night by daughter Natalia Glushkova in New Malden, South West London.
- Anti-terror cops are investigating the 68-year-old's 'unexplained' death because of the 'associations' he reportedly had.
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PM Theresa May names Putin in Sergei Skripal response as she says no ministers or members of royal family will attend World Cup
