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MI5 report on growth of Russian espionage in the UKOn May 15, 2005 the Daily Telegraph published a story headlined “Russian spies are trying to steal our secrets again, MI5 warns the Government”. The newspaper reported a confidential document entitled “Security Service Espionage Alert” released by the British security service MI5 in response to an increase in the activities of Russian intelligence agents. The document warned that Russian spies were traveling widely throughout Britain and posed a “substantial” espionage threat. The MI5 document reportedly claimed that about 30 accredited Russian diplomats were spies who were busy attempting to obtain secret information about Britain's military capabilities, its defense industry and also were interested in the activities of Chechen asylum seekers. According to the newspaper, the document stated that “SVR is believed to have about 18 offices in Britain while the GRU is said to have 14 – all in the guise of official Russian organizations, with diplomatic status”. The newspaper never questioned how over 30 Russian spies could managed to cope with 18 and 14 (32 on the whole) regional spying organizations. It was not the first leak from MI5 on the Russian espionage threat. In October 2004, the Independent newspaper published the excerpts from another MI5 confidential document entitled “Espionage threat”. The figures contained in the document oddly resembled the 2005 report: “Among the spies are at least 32 Russian diplomats... The SVR has 18 officers in Britain, while the GRU has about 14, all of whom have diplomatic status, according to intelligence sources.” Thus, in one year the officers were turned to offices, to strengthen the allegations. Source: Agentura.Ru, June 15, 2011 |
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