UK to expel Russian defense attache: home secretary

LONDON -- The United Kingdom (UK) is set to expel the Russian defense attache as part of a series of measures against Moscow, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly announced Wednesday.

Cleverly told the House of Commons, the lower house of the British parliament, that the Russian defense attache is an "undeclared military intelligence officer."

"We will remove diplomatic premises status from several Russian-owned properties in the UK ... which we believe have been used for intelligence purposes," he said.

"We are imposing new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, including capping the length of time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK," he added.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that the Kremlin will respond appropriately following the expulsion, according to Russian media.