The right to protest is heavily restricted in Russia and demonstrating without the permission of the authorities carries a maximum penalty of 15 days in detention, with a prison sentence of up to five years for three breaches.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, almost all independent media has been banned, blocked or declared “foreign agents” or “undesirable organisations”, according to Reporters Without Borders, a press advocacy NGO.

Russian media accused Mr Dodd of assaulting the journalists, with RT reporting the British diplomats were “speaking primarily about the weather and ignoring questions about more pressing matters”.

Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesman, condemned Mr Dodd’s behaviour, saying: “The British authorities and their diplomats in Moscow must finally realise they should reserve their neocolonialist habits for their own journalists at home.”

Mr Dodd has been deployed to Moscow as a British minister and deputy head of mission since 2022.

The incident comes amid an ongoing diplomatic tit-for-tat between the UK and Russia.

Last month, Russia revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow on accusations of espionage.

The FSB domestic spy agency said it had documents showing that part of Britain’s Foreign Office was helping coordinate “the escalation of the political and military situation” in Ukraine.

The Foreign Office called the accusations “baseless”.

In May, the British government removed diplomatic status from several Russian-owned UK buildings and expelled Moscow’s defence attache, accusing him of being an undeclared intelligence officer.

London and Moscow also recently clashed over the potential use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine. With a range of at least 190 miles, they could be used to target military targets deep inside Russia.