Vladimir Putin boots 50 MORE British diplomats out of Russia over spy poison row

VLADIMIR Putin has escalated the diplomatic row sparked by the Salisbury spy poisoning by booting out 50 more Brit officials.

Moscow has announced further measures against Britain as well as expelling diplomats from 23 other countries in tit-for-tat expulsions as after Britain’s allies backed the UK in taking measures against Russia.

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The British ambassador to Russia was told to cut staffing levels to the size of the Russian delegation in the UK.

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the nerve agent attack on a former spy and his daughter on UK soil.

Russia has denied the allegation but countries in the West have sided with the UK and put pressure on Russia by expelling diplomatic staff.

Around 150 Russians have so far been expelled by a number of countries, with Britain kicking out 23 people.

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Russia then hit back, chucking out the same number but has now announced further measures.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia collapsed in Salisbury on March 4 after being infected with the Novichok nerve agent which police now think was planted on their front door.

Skripal remains in a critical but stable condition.

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Yulia's condition is said to be improving.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday issued a warning over "a situation that is similar, to a large extent, to what we lived during the Cold War".

In another development, Russia accused British customs officers of trying to search an Aeroflot airliner arriving from Moscow at London's Heathrow airport without allowing the crew to be present.

So far the US has kicked out the most Russian diplomats, expelling 60 earlier this week with Russia retaliating on Thursday by taking tit-for-tat measures.

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