Theresa May says the 23 Russian diplomats kicked out of Britain are "undeclared intelligence officers".
In other words, they're "spies".
This might surprise anyone who thought the key requirements for being a good diplomat were a firm handshake, a decent backhand and the ability to order a gin and tonic in several languages.
So where do you draw the line between official diplomacy and the murky world of espionage?
"Every embassy in the world has spies," says Prof Anthony Glees, director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham.
And because every country does it, he says there's "an unwritten understanding" that governments are prepared to "turn a blind eye" to what goes on within embassies.
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WNU Editor: A rather good explanation from the BBC.
