British lawyer 'stabbed by Russian drinking buddy who accused him of being spy'

30 October 2023 , 20:34

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A British man is reportedly in hospital after being attacked at a flat in Moscow (Image: social media)

A British lawyer is "in hospital in Moscow" after being stabbed by a Russian drinking partner who accused him of spying, according to reports from local law enforcement.

The 41-year-old was wounded in the head, face and chest in a bid to kill him, according to Mash media outlet, citing law enforcement. The full identity of the UK passport holder - named as Charles - remains unconfirmed.

He described himself as an “ordinary lawyer” working in Moscow, according to the news source. Amid the war launched by Moscow against Ukraine, the UK Foreign Office [FCDO] “advises British nationals against all travel to Russia due to the risks and threats from its continuing invasion of Ukraine”.

The suspected kitchen crime scene (Mash/east2west news)

‌The situation in Russia is described as “unpredictable”. Pictures emerged of the kitchen where the stabbing allegedly took place as well as the suspected knife. The “pretty drunk” attacker was identified by Mash media as Russian Ilya Khasyanov, 37.

‌The full identity of the British man has not been confirmed. According to Mash media the attacker “was pretty drunk when he met the foreigner”. “Out of the kindness of his heart, he invited him to visit [his flat] and persuade him to share a bottle of Russian vodka.”

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‌The report says there was a “language barrier” and the Russian did not believe the British man’s denial that he was a “spy”. The UK man reportedly said he worked for VISTA Foreign Business Support, but the Russian company subsequently denied he was employed here.

The British man was attacked with this knife, Russian media reports (Mash/east2west news)

‌“The Muscovite did not believe the [denial of espionage] and attacked the poor visitor with a knife,” Mash reports. “Result - Charles was wounded in the head, face and chest. And the Moscow Investigative Committee opened a case of attempted murder against the brawler.”

‌The attack was in a flat in drab Kuskovskaya Street, some ten miles east of the Kremlin. The British embassy in Moscow has been contacted for comment on the reports in the Russian media.

Will Stewart