BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford told to leave Moscow in reciprocal move protesting British sanctions against Russians – reports

A British foreign correspondent working for the BBC in Moscow has been told her visa will not be renewed she must now leave the country, in a move that comes as relations between the two countries worsen amid a diplomatic rift.

A Foreign Ministry official revealed on Friday that Sarah Rainsford, a reporter for the state-funded broadcaster’s Russia bureau, had been denied permission to remain in the country and would have to depart before the end of the month, Bloomberg reports.

Rainsford’s right to remain in the country is due to expire on August 31, and an application for a new visa is said to have been rejected.

The BBC has not responded to media requests and the Russian Foreign Ministry has declined to comment.

Rainsford, a veteran foreign correspondent, has previously held posts in Turkey, Spain, and Cuba.

The decision is part of a tit-for-tat response to restrictions imposed on Russian citizens, Bloomberg states, citing an unnamed diplomatic official. Britain has unveiled a series of measures blacklisting Moscow government officials, including the head of the country’s criminal investigation committee, and targeting trade in recent years.

On Monday, Russia announced that it would blacklist several unnamed British government representatives, refusing them entry to the country. “In response to the unfriendly actions of the British authorities and on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, the Russian side has decided to impose personal sanctions on a commensurate number of UK representatives who are closely involved in anti-Russian activities,” a diplomatic spokesperson said in a statement.

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