Russia accused two British diplomats on Monday of spying and gave them two weeks to leave the country, reinforcing the downward trajectory of Moscow's diplomatic relations with Europe even as it negotiates to restore ties with the United States.

The Bulgarian unit’s leader was Orlin Roussev, 47, who with his deputy Biser Dzhambazov, 43, and another man, Ivan Stoyanov, pleaded guilty to spying for Russia shortly before the trial, admitting charges of conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy.