"They hate Brits' Why is the UK now Russia's villain of choice?

In recent years, Britain has become the villain of choice in Moscow's eyes.

- Pjotr Sauer and Shaun Walker

It has been accused of plotting drone strikes on airfields, blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline, directing "terrorist” raids inside Russia and even abetting last year's gruesome Islamic State attack on a concert in Moscow.

This week, a new charge was added, as Russian authorities claimed British intelligence had tried and failed to lure Russian pilots to defect to the west.

"The FSB [Russia's Federal Security Service] exposed all this in great detail," said Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister. He told reporters in Moscow there had been a British-backed plot to lure a Russian pilot flying a Kinzhal missile-equipped jet to Romania, where it would be shot down by Nato forces.

"I do not know how the British will wash themselves clean of it, although their ability to play the role of goose coming out of the shower is well known," Lavrov added, using a Russian idiom that cast Britain as always coming away spotless, despite its dirty deeds.

The UK government denies involvement in any plots.

As Moscow tries to rebuild ties with the administration of Donald Trump, Britain has taken on the role once reserved for the US - the Kremlin's favoured bogeyman in its propaganda war.

"Russia regards itself as on a par with the US," said Capt John Foreman, the UK's former defence attaché to Moscow. "Now they can't criticise Trump directly, so who do you blame for your woes - for the losses in Ukraine, for a million casualties? You blame the closest thing, the British. It's easy to portray us as the root of all Russia's problems." Russia's foreign intelligence service (SVR) declared in June: "London today, like on the eve of both world wars, is acting as the main global warmonger".

It is a mantle Britain has worn on and off for more than two centuries, in Russia's view.