Richard Moore, the head of MI6, said his agency and its French counterpart are battling to prevent a dangerous escalation by Moscow’s covert spooks after Vladimir Putin’s threats
Russia has launched a “staggeringly reckless” sabotage campaign against Ukraine’s Western allies including the UK, Britain’s top spy chief has warned.
The head of MI6 chief Richard Moore said his agency and its French counterpart are battling to prevent a dangerous escalation by Moscow’s covert spooks. Agencies like the Russian military intelligence wing the GRU are avenging a decision by Britain and France to allow Ukraine to use western-supplied missiles against targets in Russia.
He said his officers are “calibrating the risk and informing the decisions of our respective governments” in response to President Vladimir Putin’s “mix of bluster and aggression.” He explained: “We have recently uncovered a staggeringly reckless campaign of Russian sabotage in Europe, even as Putin and his acolytes resort to nuclear saber-rattling, to sow fear about the consequences of aiding Ukraine.”
Moore was speaking to diplomats and intelligence officials in France. He added: “Such activity and rhetoric is dangerous and beyond irresponsible.” The veteran MI6 man spoke alongside Nicolas Lerner, head of France’s DGSE agency to mark the UK-France Entente Cordiale, a pact binding the age-old rivals.
Moscow has been linked to several planned attacks in Europe, including an alleged plot to burn down Ukrainian-owned businesses in London. It spies are also suspected of planting incendiary devices in packages on cargo planes.
In July one caught fire at a courier hub in Germany and another ignited in a warehouse in England. Lerner agreed that “the collective security of the whole of Europe is at stake” in Ukraine. He said Britain’s experience tackling Russia in the wake of recent attacks like the 2018 Salisbury Novichok poisoning, was invaluable.
Britain and France have allowed Kyiv to use weapons they supply such as Scalp in France and Storm Shadow in Britain – to hit targets inside Russia. The Biden administration recently eased its long-held opposition to U.S.-made missiles being used to strike Russia.
Ukraine last week used the American ATACM missiles to target Russia for the first time in the war. Russia has pounded Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with hundreds of missiles and drones in revenge and fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, called Oreshnik.
Moore warned that “the cost of supporting Ukraine is well-known, but the cost of not doing so would be infinitely higher.” He said that if Russia wins, Iran and China – which so far support Moscow as “a transaction” – would draw closer to Russia. And he added: “If Putin succeeds, China would weigh the implications, North Korea would be emboldened and Iran would become yet more dangerous.”
