Amid increased hostilities with the West over his war on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is believed to have activated up to 50 sleeper agents in the United Kingdom to launch cyber attacks on the country’s civil and military infrastructure, Western media has reported, quoting intelligence officials.
Top bosses of the M15, UK’s premium intelligence agency, fear that the Russian agents could try to steal military information and target Ukrainian activists and Russian dissidents. UK’s political and military leadership could also be blackmailed on information deemed too sensitive or too “personal”. According to reports, “spy hunters” are on alert for the possible cyber attacks.
London’s intelligence community believes Putin has spies in all spheres of British society, from top public schools to staff in the civil services and House of Commons.
A senior intelligence insider told the “Mirror”, “We have to assume Russia is now active at all levels of British society. They scoop up all forms of intelligence and pass it back to the Kremlin through handlers. This could be anything from what sort of weaponry is being sent to Ukraine – and how much of it – to the sexual antics of the country’s political and military leaders.”
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The disclosure comes after a suspected Russian spy was seized last week at Gatwick airport, 30 miles south of London, as he was about to leave the country. It had then emerged that up to four Russian spies may have infiltrated the House of Commons.
The “Mirror” also quoted former military intelligence officer Lt Col Philip Ingram as saying, “It is impossible to accurately assess how many Russian agents there are in the UK. Of course there are different types – declared intelligence officers known as part of Russian diplomatic missions, and those operating undercover trying to recruit agents and then sleeper agents in all aspects of society.”
“Given our support for Ukraine, Russian intelligence will be focused heavily on operations inside the UK and could also include recruiting agents inside political establishments, defence and industry,” Ingram added.
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