Russia's envoy to Britain, in comments reflecting Moscow's chilly ties with London, complained in an interview on Sunday that Russians in Britain were treated like the mafia and suffered assaults by nationalist groups.
Ambassador Yuri Fedotov said "russophobia" was prevalent in Britain, which has become a magnet to Russia's super-rich since the break-up of the Soviet Union and is now home to some 400,000 Russians.
"I can quote examples where Russians were being beaten by youngsters in London. Tourists, visitors, businessmen," he told The Sunday Times newspaper.
"They were severely beaten and the police did not open any investigation on these particular incidents," he added. He said he had raised the issue of "developing Russophobia in Britain" with senior government figures.