The Haydee Guesthouse, with its worn-out carpets and tidy, blue-trimmed Victorian façade, is an unlikely headquarters for Russia-backed high-stakes espionage.

The Russian government on Monday expelled two British diplomats and gave two weeks for them to exit the country over allegations of espionage. Britain said the allegations are "baseless."

Russia's FSB security service said on Monday that it was expelling two alleged British spies who it said had provided false information to get diplomatic accreditation to enter the country. The