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UK Prime Minister Theresa May has announced the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats from the UK since the Cold War over the alleged attack on a former spy. Moscow has denounced May's claims as baseless, Sputnik reported.

London has submitted to Moscow a list of Russian diplomats who must leave the UK as personae non-grata, and Russia is preparing a mirror response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.

"The list was sent by diplomatic channels to the Russian side. These are Russian diplomats, including members of the military attache staff. We have it. They must leave Great Britain within seven days," Zakharova  noted.

"We are preparing our response and will notify the British side when it's ready," she added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier that it regarded the punitive measures against Russia announced by UK Prime Minister Theresa May over Moscow's alleged involvement in the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal as a gross provocation that undermines the foundations of a normal interstate dialogue between the two countries. 

"We consider it categorically unacceptable and reproachful that the British government, while pursuing its unseemly political goals, opted for further serious aggravation of relations, announcing a whole set of hostile measures, including the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from the country," the Ministry's statement said.

The Russian Embassy in London called the expulsion of the diplomats "unacceptable, short-sighted and unjustified."
In a statement, the Embassy confirmed that the diplomats had been declared personae non grata, adding that London was to blame for the harm caused to Russian-UK relations by this "hostile step."

The Russian Embassy's reaction followed UK Prime Minister May's address to the House of Commons, where she announced a response to the alleged attack on Skripal.

Reiterating a claim she made Monday about Russia's alleged culpibility in the Skripal case, the prime minister accused Russia of an "unlawful use of force against the United Kingdom," saying this crime was part of a well established pattern of "Russian state aggression" in Europe, and accused Moscow of "sarcasm, contempt and defiance" in its response to London's ultimatum to provide further information.

May announced that 23 Russian diplomats "identified as undeclared intelligence officers" will be expelled and given one week to leave.

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