Surveillance and 'constant paranoia': Western diplomats tell BBC of life in war-time Moscow
Former Western diplomats describe a climate of intense surveillance and isolation while serving in Moscow during the ongoing war in Ukraine. They compare the current atmosphere to the Cold War, noting that diplomatic relations have reached a historic low.
Why it matters
The report underscores the breakdown of diplomatic channels and the high-risk environment for international representatives in Russia.
Image source, BBC/Getty Images Image caption, Ex-US and French ambassadors Lynne Tracy and Pierre Lévy were among those to speak to the BBC of their time in Moscow
"Being the ambassador to Russia was probably the hardest assignment of my career," Lynne Tracy, who represented the US in Moscow from 2023 and 2025, tells the BBC.
US, UK and European diplomats once played a crucial role in Russia, defusing tensions even at the worst moments of the Cold War.
But now, deemed "unfriendly" by President Vladimir Putin's government, Western ambassadors are under constant surveillance, isolated and increasingly cut off from the country they were sent to understand, as the war in Ukraine grinds on through its fifth year.
The BBC has spoken to five diplomats who have served in Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion.
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