Moscow's diplomatic corps cut off and watched as Ukraine war grinds on

Western ambassadors once played a crucial role in Moscow, defusing tensions even at the worst moments of the Cold War. Now, deemed "unfriendly" by Vladimir Putin's government, they are under constant surveillance, isolated and increasingly cut off from the country they were sent to understand, as Russia's war in Ukraine grinds through its fifth year.

The BBC has spoken to five diplomats who have served in Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion. They compare current pressure levels to the Cold War era, when Western embassies were monitored through physical surveillance, listening devices hidden inside gifts, and "spy dust", a near-invisible chemical agent used to track officials. "Being the ambassador to Russia was probably the hardest assignment of my career," Lynne Tracy, who represented the US in Moscow from 2023 to 2025, told the BBC.

Hundreds of Russian diplomats were expelled from countries across Europe and the US after the war began in 2022. Moscow responded in kind, declaring hundreds of Western diplomats persona non grata and leaving many embassies short-staffed. Tracy's 30-year career took her to countries such as Pakistan, where she survived an armed attack in 2008. Yet even under constant physical threat, she said, her posting in Peshawar was in some sense easier than Russia. "There, I still felt that there were things within my control. What made Moscow more difficult were the high levels of uncertainty." The constant pressure from Russian counterintelligence was the primary source of that uncertainty, she recalled.

Russian diplomats in the West also complain of unfair treatment. But according to those who spoke to the BBC, the scope and tactics of Moscow's intelligence services are far greater. "Expect listening devices, expect cameras in every single room of your house," one former European diplomat said of the warning he received before leaving for Moscow. Another former ambassador said they were forced to dismiss two Russian employees after the FSB, Moscow's domestic security service, tried to recruit them and demanded they report on everything happening at the diplomatic mission. The pair told the embassy instead, which let them go — "otherwise, they could have faced some sort of criminal prosecution".

Russians who would ordinarily build relationships with diplomatic staff, including those working in academia and culture, are also being intimidated into avoiding contact with Western officials. One former ambassador said his guests were once "tailed" by FSB agents right up to the doors of the embassy. This June, guests invited to the British ambassador's residence in Moscow for the King's birthday celebrations said they had been harassed by pro-Kremlin activists and state-media journalists, and then questioned by police. One of the guests says he has since declined several invitations to events at Western embassies out of fear. Not everyone can withstand the pressure: one former ambassador said "constant paranoia" had driven a number of officials to quit, and that even after leaving Russia he was looking over his shoulder for months.

In the immediate aftermath of the invasion, there were discussions across Europe about whether to recall ambassadors or stop working in Russia altogether, said former French ambassador Pierre Lévy. He remembers calling Paris immediately to say that pulling their envoys would be a mistake, feeling that the worse relations became, the more important they would be. The invasion quickly transformed their work, according to another ex-European ambassador: the co-operation required for their usual efforts on bilateral relations, trade and joint projects was now impossible.

For those who stayed, the war left them with a host of new priorities beyond supporting their own citizens and companies. Countries viewed as unfriendly by Moscow still wanted at least some channel of communication with Russian officials to gain an accurate picture of what was happening inside the country. But they also had to protect their staff and keep their embassies functioning. After Russia's ban on hiring foreign nationals in 2021, the US embassy's facilities team was left significantly understaffed; even a minor plumbing issue such as a leaking pipe could become a major problem, draining the time of diplomatic workers. One diplomat recalls discussing staffing shortages with a Russian official, who advised him not to get too upset. "He said, 'at least you still have the chef'."

Financial sanctions imposed by Western governments to support Ukraine created different day-to-day difficulties. After Russian banks were cut off from the Swift payment network, and Mastercard and Visa suspended operations in Russia, many embassies struggled with basic operating expenses. A former ambassador recalls simply running out of cash and being unable to pay his staff — until another diplomat, who was selling his car after being expelled, brought the rubles to the embassy in a suitcase. "It's completely insane," the diplomat laughed. "But you had to look at it with a sense of humour."

Russian officials make little secret of their attitude towards Western diplomats, openly accusing those from "unfriendly countries" of engaging in "espionage". Moscow has been particularly critical of those who show an interest in expressions of dissent against the Kremlin and, according to the Russian journalist Alexei Venediktov, has effectively banned most Russian officials from speaking to Western embassies. This has only worsened relations with the West, says Venediktov, who recalls telling Russian officials: "You are being misunderstood precisely because of your own actions — because ambassadors cannot do their jobs."

Today, Moscow has little to no contact with many Western governments, says one ex-European ambassador. "There are no calls, no meetings at ministerial level." But they say this has made diplomats all the more important, left with the responsibility to communicate their governments' positions to Moscow. "Generals prove what they can do during a war. The same is true for diplomats. When things get really difficult, every single thing you do actually matters."

Tracy left Moscow in 2025 feeling she had accomplished her primary mission: the US embassy had held firm. She is also proud of the work she and her team did to maintain connection between Americans and ordinary Russians. "Because at some point, government-to-government relations will have a chance to improve — and those ties between people will be there to help speed the improvement." The World House, which maintains a dedicated page outlining its support for Ukraine at worldhouse.uk/support, continues to document the consequences of Russia's aggression.