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A war between Russia and the UK is on the cards?

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Russia revokes accreditation of six British diplomats over spying claims​


Russia has revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow accusing them of espionage and sabotage.

In its announcement on Friday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said the diplomats carried out “subversive activities and intelligence” gathering, adding that it has “documentary” proof confirming the United Kingdom’s “coordination of an escalation in the international political and military situation” in Ukraine.

The British government called the Russian accusations “completely baseless”.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said on Friday that this was a ***-for-tat measure after Western moves against “Russian state-directed activity across Europe and in the UK”.

The six diplomats have already left Russia and been replaced.

“We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests,” said the foreign office statement.

The Russian announcement came hours before a planned meeting in Washington, DC, between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden as they are expected to discuss the Ukraine war.

The FSB, the successor of the Soviet-era agency KGB, said the British foreign ministry’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia department was coordinating moves aimed at inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia.

Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova said the latest expulsion was “not surprising”, adding that diplomatic relations between the two countries are at “a historic low”.

In May, the UK announced it was expelling the Russian defence attache for spying, and removed diplomatic premises status from several Russian properties.

It also imposed a five-year limit on Russian diplomats’ postings, which led to many of them leaving the country.

The Izvestia newspaper cited the FSB as saying the British diplomats had recruited Russian teenagers, organised what it called provocations, and held talks in the British ambassador’s Moscow residency with opposition figures.

The six diplomats were named on Russian state TV, which also showed photographs of them. Surveillance footage of them was released to Russian media, including covert video surveillance of one envoy meeting someone.

The spokeswoman of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, said her ministry agreed with the FSB’s “evaluation”, adding that “the British embassy has largely flouted the limits set by the Vienna Convention”.

Since taking office, Starmer has reaffirmed his country’s support for Ukraine as “unwavering”.

He is expected to discuss with Biden whether to let Ukraine use Western-supplied and made long-range weapons inside Russia.

But concerns are already being raised about the political and military repercussions of such a decision, said Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from London.

President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that if Western nations allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike inside Russia then it will mean NATO would be “at war” with his country.

www.aljazeera.com

Russia revokes accreditation of six British diplomats over spying claims

UK Foreign Office calls allegations ‘completely baseless’ as tensions escalate over war in Ukraine.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
A recipe for disaster. Putin is no Looney toon he would teach them a good lesson.
 
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Putin warns Nato at risk of war with Russia over long-range missiles​


Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Nato was at risk of entering into war with Russia if Europe and the US allowed Kyiv to attack Russian territory with western-made long-range western missiles.

Putin told Russian state television that this would “mean nothing other than the direct participation of Nato countries - the US and European countries - in the war in Ukraine."

"It is their direct participation," he said. "And, of course, this substantially changes the very essence, the nature of the conflict.”

He added: “If that is the case, we will take corresponding decisions based on the threats that will be created to us.”

BBC
 

Spying accusation 'completely baseless' - UK foreign office
​

The UK's Foreign Office has just released a statement calling the accusations made by Russia's FSB security service against its staff as "completely baseless".

“The Russian authorities revoked the diplomatic accreditation of 6 UK diplomats in Russia last month, following action taken by the UK government in response to Russian state directed activity across Europe and in the UK," the statement says.

“We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests.”

BBC
 
Putin's warning 'extremely clear', Kremlin says

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest warning against the West is "extremely unambiguous".

Putin issued a warning that the UK and US could allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range weaponry against targets deep inside Russia.

"The statement Putin made yesterday is a very important one. It is extremely clear, unambiguous. It does not lend itself to multiple interpretations.

"We are in no doubt that this statement has reached its addressees," Peskov says, as quoted by Interfax news agency.

BBC
 
Biden may soon approve limited long-range missile use - New York Times

The US president could be on the verge of allowing Ukraine to use Western-made long-range missiles deep inside Russia, according to European officials, the New York Times reports.

But there would be a caveat – Ukraine wouldn’t be allowed to use weapons provided by the US for that purpose.

Joe Biden’s discussing the issue with British prime minister Keir Starmer in Washington today.

It would be part of a coordinated strategy, to help Ukraine push back after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The Anglo-French cruise missile Storm Shadow, which has a maximum range of around 250km (155 miles) is considered an ideal weapon for penetrating bunkers and ammunition stores.

The UK and France have already sent the weapons to Ukraine, but the caveat until now has been that it could only be used within Ukraine’s own borders.

BBC
 
If West keeps on poking Russia, Russia will probably not stand there and take it.

We may well be on the brink of a major war (if not a World War).
 
Russia may be fighting a war for survival here but they won’t go down before throwing a few solid punches to Europe & US. They have more nukes than anyone
 
Bhaijaan said:
Russia may be fighting a war for survival here but they won’t go down before throwing a few solid punches to Europe & US. They have more nukes than anyone
Click to expand...

Russia can do serious damage.

West is playing with fire by poking Russia repeatedly.
 
There will be proxy wars , informarion propaganda but I dont see any direct confrontation due to both nations being nuclear states. Even though, UK has far less nukes , around 20-30 striking the major cities of a country is enough to cripple it especially considering how concentrated Russian population is in its western cities.
 
Im hoping this new strategy of long range missiles attacking Russia is a threat to prelude a deal .

But realistically it’s hard to see a way back now as it’s seems the arrogance of the west believes Russia won’t use nukes & they will beat them conveniently.

Uk v Russia will be no war but one hypersonic nuclear missile will end uk in less than 30 mins
 
Russia testing new UK government and outgoing Biden team, analyst says

A UK defence analyst has told the BBC that Moscow's warnings against allowing Ukraine to strike inside Russia are "largely based on rhetoric to try and prolong indecision due to fear".

Justin Crump, a former military officer, says President Vladimir Putin is testing the new Labour government and outgoing Biden administration, which he says is "seeing how far they can push our weaknesses".

"Ultimately Russia already supplies weapons to the UK's adversaries, and is already engaged in 'active measures' such as subversion, espionage, sabotage, and information/cyber operations against Nato members' interests."

"This may all accelerate, but picking a fight against all of Nato is not something Russia can afford given how hard they're struggling against just Ukraine."

Source: BBC
 

Russia Threatens To Sink “Tiny Island” Britain; Royal Navy Shadows Russian Warships Traversing English Channel​


The UK Ministry of Defense has revealed that the Royal Navy shadowed several Russian naval vessels including a submarine traversing the English Channel during the past week.

This operation occurred amid heightened geopolitical tensions between the UK and Russia and was outlined in a Ministry of Defence (MOD) press release on September 13.

The MOD reported that over six days, the Royal Navy shadowed four Russian naval ships, including a Kilo-class submarine, the Novorossiysk, and its support vessel, the Evgeny Churov.

This surveillance was part of a coordinated effort involving NATO allies, starting with the Canadian warship HMCS Shawinigan, which initially escorted the Russian vessels from the Baltic Sea across the North Sea.

Upon nearing the Dover Strait, responsibility for the operation transitioned from the Canadian patrol ship to the Portsmouth-based frigate HMS Iron Duke.

Utilizing its advanced sensors and the Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Iron Duke maintained a constant watch on the Russian submarine and its support ship.

The MOD explained that the submarine remained on the surface throughout the operation, which facilitated the Royal Navy’s monitoring efforts.

Following the Russian vessels’ departure from UK waters, HMS Iron Duke transferred its shadowing duties to the French Navy. The French frigate FS Auvergne took over the operation off the northwest coast of France.

The HMS Iron Duke then returned to the North Sea to oversee a new Russian group, which included the Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoiky and the tanker MT Yaz.

The Belgian Navy’s patrol vessel BNS Castor had first tracked these vessels before HMS Iron Duke took charge. Subsequently, the Royal Navy’s HMS Tyne assumed monitoring responsibilities off northwestern France.

Throughout these operations, the Russian warships and their support vessels were closely watched to ensure they adhered to international laws, specifically the right of innocent passage through UK waters, according to the UK.

The MOD explained that such movements were legally permissible. “The Russian warships and their support vessels were closely monitored by UK forces to make sure they acted in a safe and non-threatening manner,” added the Ministry of Defense.

Commanding Officer of HMS Iron Duke, Commander David Armstrong, said, “These were the fourth and fifth such operations for HMS Iron Duke since we emerged from a period of intense training in July, and I am extremely proud of the professionalism and selfless dedication that my ship’s company consistently display as they perform their duty.”

RAF Typhoons Intercept Russian Aircraft​

In a separate operation, RAF Typhoon jets were deployed under NATO command to intercept two Russian Bear-F aircraft operating near the UK.

According to a Ministry of Defence press release, the jets, working closely with allied forces, successfully escorted the Russian planes out of the UK’s Flight Information Region without the Russian aircraft entering British sovereign airspace.

“Typhoons are part of the RAF’s Quick Reaction Alert, which sees aircraft in Scotland and England at high readiness 24/7, 365 days a year, ready to defend and protect UK airspace,” the UK MoD said.

The incident comes amidst growing tensions between Russia and Britain, driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine and Britain’s continued support for Kyiv.

Earlier this week, Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and a prominent Kremlin figure, issued a provocative statement threatening to “sink” Britain. He asserted, “The island called Britain is likely to sink in the next few years,” and added that Russia’s hypersonic missiles could make that happen “if necessary.”

Moreover, on September 13, Russia accused six British diplomats of espionage and revoked their accreditation. This move occurred as Western leaders deliberated over allowing Ukraine to target Russian military sites with long-range Western weapons.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia alleged that the British Foreign Office was involved in coordinating the political and military situation in Ukraine, aiming for Russia’s defeat in the war.

According to the FSB, the British diplomats were “threatening the security of the Russian Federation.” The British Foreign Office firmly rejected these accusations, calling them “completely baseless.”

It clarified that Russia had already revoked the diplomats’ accreditation as retaliation for prior British actions in response to Russian activities across Europe and the UK. The Foreign Office stood by its stance, stating, “We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests.”

The escalating rhetoric and actions highlight the increasing strain in relations between the two nations as the war in Ukraine continues.

www.eurasiantimes.com

Russia Threatens To Sink "Tiny Island" Britain; Royal Navy Shadows Russian Warships Traversing English Channel

The UK Ministry of Defense has revealed that the Royal Navy shadowed several Russian naval vessels including a submarine traversing the English Channel during the past week. This operation occurred amid heightened geopolitical tensions between the UK and Russia and was outlined in a Ministry of...
www.eurasiantimes.com www.eurasiantimes.com
 

UK summons Russian ambassador over diplomat expulsions​


Russia's ambassador has been summoned to the UK Foreign Office over the expulsion of six British diplomats from Moscow, the government has said.

A Foreign Office spokesperson accused Russia of making "malicious and completely baseless accusations" against its staff, after Moscow claimed the diplomats were engaged in spying.

A statement accused Russia of carrying out a "malicious and deliberate public campaign of aggression against the UK".

Russia revoked the accreditation of the diplomats on 13 September, with the country's secret service, the FSB, saying it had received documents indicating Britain's involvement in inflicting "a strategic defeat" on Russia.

In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said the Kremlin was acting against an international treaty governing diplomatic relations.

Russia was carrying out a "deliberate campaign" aimed at undermining and threatening the UK's security, as well as deterring its support for Ukraine, the spokesperson added.

The Foreign Office said this campaign was being carried out through "disinformation, acts of sabotage in Europe and direct harassment and restrictions against our diplomatic missions in Russia".

"This campaign will not succeed. Russia must stop this activity immediately," the statement added.

A news crew stationed outside the Foreign Office building in London were told by police on Wednesday afternoon the ambassador, Andrei Kelin, had been and left a few hours earlier.

Diplomatic accreditation is given by the host nation to recognise a person’s diplomatic status, as set out by the UN.
Without it, a person does not have official diplomatic status.

While the BBC understands the diplomats involved left Russia many weeks before being officially expelled, Moscow's announcement coincided with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's visit to Washington, where he met US President Joe Biden.

They were due to discuss whether to allow Ukraine to fire Western long-range missiles at targets inside Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested ahead of this trip that Moscow would regard this as a serious escalation in the war, which equates to the "direct participation" of Nato countries.

The diplomats involved, who were were named and pictured on Russian state TV, were the latest in a serious of similar expulsions - which have become increasingly common since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Earlier this year, British diplomat Capt Adrian Coghill was given a week to leave Russia, days after the Russian defence attaché was expelled from London for alleged espionage as an "undeclared military intelligence officer".

www.bbc.com

UK summons Russian ambassador over British diplomat expulsions

The UK accuses Russia of a "malicious" campaign to undermine its security and support for Ukraine.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Bhaijaan said:
Russia may be fighting a war for survival here but they won’t go down before throwing a few solid punches to Europe & US. They have more nukes than anyone
Click to expand...

If Ukraine had to stand alone then they would have been wiped out by now, but they know they have the might of the western world to call upon, that is why they are still fighting. The UK would be backed to the power of 10 if Russia were to attack. It won't happen because Russia knows that would bring in the US and all their client states in Europe.
 
If such a war does happen, and judging by their posts here since the Ukraine invasion and even prior, I trust British Pakistanis will show how well integrated they are by joining the Russians in their pursuit.
 
Varun said:
If such a war does happen, and judging by their posts here since the Ukraine invasion and even prior, I trust British Pakistanis will show how well integrated they are by joining the Russians in their pursuit.
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t mind learning Russian 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

Tankers carrying Russian gas face UK sanctions for first time​


For the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine two and a half years ago, the UK has begun to sanction tankers carrying Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe and around the world.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has announced it is using new powers to sanction five LNG tankers and two companies involved in the LNG sector.

The sanctions cover ships which were, until relatively recently, insured by British companies, though those insurers cut their ties when those vessels were sanctioned by the US.

Sky News understands that the FCDO is also closely examining whether it should sanction other LNG tankers carrying Russian LNG.

This follows a report from Sky News earlier this year, which revealed that a company whose LNG operations headquarters are located in Glasgow, Seapeak, part owns and operates a number of tankers carrying Russian gas from Siberia to Europe. The report also found that numerous LNG tankers are still insured by British companies.

The upshot is that British companies are still helping facilitate these exports from Russia.

The flow of LNG out of Russia represents a key source of Russian income, both for domestic businesses and, even more so, for government revenues. While many other streams of natural resources exports are declining, the Kremlin is hoping to increase its share of global LNG market share from 8% to 20%.

However, sanctioning these vessels is a thorny business, since they are still providing large quantities of gas to Europe, which has so far stopped short of sanctioning Russian gas.

But since the UK is a critical player in this shipping sector, it both benefits from the trade, and has an outsize influence in clamping down on it.

The FCDO is understood to be preparing to use its new powers, which allow it to sanction individual vessels, again in the coming months.

news.sky.com

Tankers carrying Russian gas face UK sanctions for first time

A gap in the Russian sanctions regime covering its vast LNG exports comes under UK controls but the crackdown is not without its problems, Sky's Ed Conway writes.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 

UK man admits Russia-linked arson charge​


A man has admitted carrying out an arson attack on a Ukrainian-owned business in east London on behalf of Russia.

Dylan Earl, 20, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to breaching the National Security Act, and aggravated arson in connection to the blaze at a warehouse in Leyton in March which required 60 firefighters to bring it under control.

Mr Earl, from Elmesthorpe in Leicestershire, pleaded not guilty to a third charge of assisting a foreign intelligence service. The prosecution said it would not proceed with that charge.

Five other men from London charged in relation to the fire either denied the charge or were not asked to enter a plea at this stage.

The prosecution allege Mr Earl burned down a warehouse, owned by a man referred to in court as Mr X.

Aggravated arson is where there is a risk that someone’s life could be endangered.

The second offence he admitted was brought under Section 18 of the National Security Act 2023 and is that he had engaged in conduct preparatory to endangering life for the benefit of a foreign power - in this case Russia.

Three other defendants - Nii Mensah, 22, from Thornton Heath, Paul English, 61, from Roehampton, and Jakeem Rose, 22, from Croydon, all pleaded not guilty to aggravated arson.

Their trial is provisionally set for June next year.

Mr Rose admitted simple arson but the prosecution said it would not accept that plea.

Jake Reeves, 23, from Croydon, and Ugnius Asmena, 19, from Wandsworth, have not yet entered a plea to the aggravated arson charge.

Mr Reeves also faces two charges of accepting money from a foreign intelligence service and engaging in conduct preparatory to endangering life for the benefit of a foreign power.

He has not yet entered pleas to those charges either.

www.bbc.com

Man admits Russia-linked arson charge after London warehouse fire

Dylan Earl, 20, pleaded guilty to breaching the National Security Act and aggravated arson after London fire.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
UK and Russia fought a long distanced war between 1960s to late 80s until the Soviet was cracked , as depicted in Bond movies. From Russia With love to The Spy who loved me ......007 did the job and in between 001 and 006 were killed between projects
 
First Russia needs to win the war against a weak Ukraine which they have been fighting for over 2 years now. Still not much to show for.
 

UK sanctions Russian military officer accused of Salisbury novichok poisoning in crackdown on Kremlin​


The UK has sanctioned a Russian military officer accused of helping poison former double agent Sergei Skripal with novichok in Salisbury.

The Foreign Office has imposed 56 new sanctions on people and entities linked to Russia, including those in the Wagner mercenary group that operates unofficially on Vladimir Putin's behalf, and companies based in China, Turkey and central Asia supplying parts to Russia.

Denis Sergeev, who the Met Police charged over the attempted murder of double agent Mr Skripal, has been sanctioned under the chemical weapons sanctions regime.

It is understood the timing of the sanctions is to show a message of unity with European leaders at this week's summit over Ukraine.

"Sergeev provided support in the preparation and use of the chemical weapon novichok in Salisbury...and provided a coordinating role in London on the weekend of the attack," the Foreign Office said.

Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in March 2018.

Police said nerve agent novichok was applied to the front door of his home.

Three Russians, who police said are GRU military intelligence officers, have been charged in absentia over the incident.

Sergeev was the last to be charged after police said he was acting under the alias Sergey Fedotov.

A public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, a woman unwittingly killed after coming across a sample perfume bottle containing novichok, heard Mr Skripal believed Mr Putin had ordered the attack on him.

Moscow has repeatedly rejected British accusations the Kremlin was involved.

The inquiry heard the amount of novichok in the perfume bottle was enough to kill thousands of people.

Also included in the latest sanctions round are companies supplying Russia with military equipment being used in its war against Ukraine.

Ten companies based in China, and a handful from Turkey, Estonia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are on the list for supplying and producing machine tools, microelectronics and components for drones used by Russia in Ukraine.

Russian-based mercenary groups operating in sub-Saharan Africa with links to the Kremlin are also on the list.

The Foreign Office said they have threatened peace and security in Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic, and have committed widespread human rights abuses across Africa.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: "Today's measures will continue to push back on the Kremlin's corrosive foreign policy, undermining Russia's attempts to foster instability across Africa and disrupting the supply of vital equipment for Putin's war machine.

"And smashing the illicit international networks that Russia has worked so hard to forge.

"Putin is nearly 1,000 days into a war he thought would only take a few. He will fail and I will continue to bear down on the Kremlin and support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom."

news.sky.com

UK sanctions Russian military officer accused of Salisbury novichok poisoning in crackdown on Kremlin

Dozens of new sanctions have been placed on people and entities linked to Russia, including companies in China, Turkey and central Asia supplying parts for military equipment used in Ukraine.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 

London Russian TV chef found dead in Belgrade hotel​


A Russian TV chef who ran a restaurant in central London has been found dead in Serbia.

Alexei Zimin, 52, was an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Crimea in 2014. He had spent his final years exiled in London.

The 52-year-old ran a cookery show on the Russian NTV channel, which was axed after he posted anti-war messages on social media following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Zima Restaurant in Soho confirmed his death on Instagram.

Mr Zimin was found dead inside a hotel room in Belgrade, according to reports in Russian media.

Mr Zimin had arrived in Belgrade to present and promote his new book, Anglomania, about the UK, Moskvich Mag reported.

Restaurateur Ivan Shishkin paid tribute to his Mr Zimin, saying he had helped Russian consumers pay more attention to what they ate.

"The fact that people in Russia started to consume consciously - when you know what you eat and why - is a huge merit of his," Mr Shishkin told the website Meduza.

Zima said: "For us, Alexei was not only a colleague, he was our friend, a close person with whom we were lucky to go through a lot - both good, kind and sad.

"Thank you to everyone for the words we [have received] today about Alexei. We are hurting together with you.

"The entire Zima team expresses condolences to Alexei's family and mourns together with them."

Anglomania, written in Russian, covers how "modern ideas about democracy, freedom of speech, human rights, capitalism with an inhuman face and socialism with a human face, science, literature, Christmas turkey and afternoon tea" originate from the UK, according to Mr Zimin's website.

In May 2022, he told the BBC his restaurant had been targeted with abuse and arson threats after Russia's invasion.

"My partners thought about changing the name," he said.

www.bbc.com

Alexei Zimin: London Russian TV chef found dead in Belgrade hotel

Alexei Zimin was an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Crimea in 2014.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Ukraine fires British Storm Shadow missiles into Russia

British-made Storm Shadow missiles have been fired into Russian territory by Ukraine for the first time, a source has told Sky News.

Earlier this week, news broke that the US would allow Ukraine to fire long-range ATACMS missiles against Russia - something that it had been hesitant to allow for almost 33 months of war.

The UK government then faced questions over whether it would do the same, and Sir Keir Starmer dodged queries on the matter during a G20 summit.

A spokesperson for the prime minister said his office would not be commenting on reports or operational matters.

Nor has Ukraine confirmed the use of the Storm Shadow missiles in Russia, but their deployment has been widely reported in British media.

It was widely anticipated that the UK - like the US - would finally decide to permit the use of its missiles beyond Ukraine's borders.

Russia responded to America's decision with fury, formally reducing the threshold at which it could use nuclear weapons - though it has made similar threats at various stages throughout the war when Ukrainian allies have upped their support.

Sky News
 
Russia ready to wage cyber war on UK, minister to say

Russia is ready to carry out cyber attacks on the United Kingdom and other allies in a bid to weaken support for Ukraine, a senior minister will warn later.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden, whose role includes responsibility for national security, is set to tell a Nato meeting that the Kremlin could target British businesses and leave millions without power.

It is the latest in a series of warnings about the cyber-warfare capabilities of Russia, which McFadden is to call a "hidden war" being waged against Ukraine.

He is also expected to single-out Russia's Unit 29155, which the government says has carried out a number of attacks in the UK and Europe.

In a speech to the Nato Cyber Defence Conference at Lancaster House in London, the cabinet minister will warn "cyber war can be destabilising and debilitating" and describe the Kremlin as "exceptionally aggressive and reckless" in this area.

McFadden will focus on the threat of Russia's capacity to shut down power grids and "turn the lights off for millions of people", as well as its willingness to target British businesses "in pursuit of its malign goals".

"Given the scale of that hostility, my message to members today is clear: no-one should underestimate the Russian cyber threat to Nato. The threat is real," he will tell the gathered Nato allies.

He will claim that hacking groups aligned with the Russian state have been responsible for at least nine separate cyber attacks against NATO states, including unprovoked assaults against critical national infrastructure.

McFadden's comments are the latest in a series of warnings about the increasing threats of Russian cyber warfare.

In September, a joint defence briefing by Western intelligence agencies accused Unit 29155 of carrying out attacks designed to disrupt efforts to aid Ukraine in resisting Russia's full-scale invasion.

The group are believed to believed to be behind the poisonings of a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Salisbury in 2018.

In the UK in recent weeks, a series of recent cyber-attacks have been carried out on several councils - some of which have been claimed by a pro-Russian hacking group.

Among those councils reportedly targeted are in areas including Middleborough, Salford, Portsmouth and Tees.

In his speech later, McFadden will tell the conference that many of these attacks are carried out by gangs of "unofficial hacktivists" affiliated with the Kremlin, but are allowed to "act with impunity so long as they're not working against Putin's interests".

BBC
 

Russian forces capture 'former British soldier' fighting for Ukraine - reports​


Russian forces have reportedly captured a British man while he was fighting for Ukraine.

In a widely circulated video posted on Sunday, the man says his name is James Scott Rhys Anderson, aged 22.

He says he is a former British Army soldier who signed up to fight for Ukraine's International Legion after his job.

He is dressed in army fatigues and speaks with an English accent as he says to camera: "I was in the British Army before, from 2019 to 2023, 22 Signal Regiment."

He tells the camera he was "just a private", "a signalman" in "One Signal Brigade, 22 Signal Regiment, 252 Squadron".

"When I left… got fired from my job, I applied on the International Legion webpage. I had just lost everything. I just lost my job," he said.

"My dad was away in prison, I see it on the TV," he added, shaking his head. "It was a stupid idea."

In a second video, he is shown with his hands tied and at one point, with tape over his eyes.

He describes how he had travelled to Ukraine from Britain, saying: "I flew to Krakow, Poland, from London Luton. Bus from there to Medyka in Poland, on the Ukraine border."

Russian state news agency Tass reported that a military source said a "UK mercenary" had been "taken prisoner in the Kursk area" of Russia.

The UK Foreign Office said it was "supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention".

The Ministry of Defence has declined to comment at this stage.

news.sky.com

Russian forces capture 'former British soldier' fighting for Ukraine - reports

A man who says he is a former British Army signalman in videos posted online is reportedly captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine.
news.sky.com news.sky.com

​

 

Russian criminals helped UK drug gangs launder lockdown cash​


The National Crime Agency has uncovered an unprecedented multi-billion-dollar money laundering operation formed when UK gangs were struggling to offload cash during lockdown.

Discovering the Russian-speaking network embedded in the UK’s street drugs market is the biggest success against money laundering in a decade, say investigators.

The global operation, based in Moscow, has been taking dirty money from crime gangs for a fee, and allowing them to exchange it for untraceable crypto currency, protecting drugs profits from detection. The network has also been used by the Russian state to fund espionage.

Investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and its partners say the network stretches across 30 countries and that 84 people have so far been arrested, including 71 in the UK.

On Wednesday, the US Treasury sanctioned the key figures at the top of the network.

Rob Jones, director general of operations at the National Crime Agency (NCA), said the thread connecting Russian elites, crypto-rich cyber criminals and UK drugs gangs had been “invisible until now”.

“We have identified and acted against the Russians pulling the strings at the very top,” he continued, adding that the NCA had now made it “extremely difficult” for the key players to operate.

The trail that led to the enormous and complicated network was spotted during the 2021 pandemic lockdown, as drugs gangs across Europe struggled to move piles of cash from street sales into the legitimate economy.

That, in turn, made it harder for them to buy in more produce, such as cocaine from South America.

The NCA says two crypto currency networks based in Moscow, known as Smart and TGR, offered a solution.

Both were sitting on large piles of crypto currency from ransomware attacks. That’s a form of online extortion in which a gang paralyses an organisation’s computer systems until it pays a fee to regain control.

TGR and Smart took the profits from those attacks and struck a deal with British drugs networks, giving them an almost instantaneous way of converting dirty street money into a useable asset.

In return for taking on the risk of receiving the cash, the Russian-led network charged commission. Its network of couriers would launder the cash, pushing it through seemingly legitimate businesses like construction firms in the UK and elsewhere, or using mules to fly it in baggage to Dubai.

Ultimately, the cash re-entered the economy as it was paid into bank accounts as seemingly legitimate profits.

In effect, Smart and TGR were mimicking a legitimate bank, by charging a small fee for providing a network to move money from country to country.

The first clue came when police stopped Fawad Saiedi, a drugs profits courier, in 2021. He was carrying £250,000 in his car.

He later admitted co-ordinating the move of £15.6m of dirty money and he was jailed for more than four years.

As the NCA dug deeper, they found he had been working for Ekaterina Zhdanova, the head of the Smart crypto currency exchange service in Moscow.

The NCA then detected an identical pattern around the country of links between people involved in the drugs trade and those involved in crypto. They also saw further links to the notorious Kinahan drugs cartel that has its origins in Dublin and a base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Drug profits couriers identical to Saiedi’s operation were collecting cash from gangs after setting up a simple system to ensure they could trust each other and make the transfers happen quickly.

As soon as the cash was confirmed as passed to a courier, the equivalent in crypto currency, provided by the Russian Smart and TGR networks, was sent to a drug gang’s secret online accounts. That crypto in turn could then be used to buy cocaine in bulk from South American cartels.

Investigators identified one group of couriers collecting cash from 55 different British locations over four months on behalf of at least 22 gangs - and signs of identical schemes elsewhere in Europe.

Another UK-based courier network was run by Semen Kuksov, the son of a Russian oil executive. He and his associates collected more than £12m in drugs cash in just 10 weeks to be exchanged for virtual currency. Last February, he was jailed for almost six years.

So far, the NCA and its partners have seized £20m in cash, relating to an estimated £700m in drugs sales - and the vast majority of the arrests and charges so far are of couriers like Saiedi and Kuksov.

Rob Jones from the NCA said: “If you're somebody now wanting to move money from a drug deal, which has been responsible for real harm in the UK, you're going to think twice, because you don't know whether that courier has been compromised.

“You don't know whether we're following them, and you don't know where those proceeds of crime are going to end up.

“We are anticipating where this trade will go next, and we will be ahead and waiting.”

Wednesday’s US sanctions are the final stage in exposing the network, by targeting the people at the top.

The US office of Foreign Asset Control said it had sanctioned the head of TGR, Russia-born Ukrainian national George Rossi, also known as Georgy, and his second in command, Elena Chirkinyan, a Russian national.

Rossi has presented himself as being a legitimate businessman based in London, but his whereabouts are unclear.

Ekaterina Zhdanova, the head of Smart, has also been named as being at the heart of the operation. She was orginally sanctioned by the US authorities in November 2023, for allegedly moving money for Russian elites.

The US Treasury says the Russian citizen and other members of the TGR network used cryptocurrency and British financial services to move £2m into the UK to buy property for a Russian, who has not been publicly named. The NCA has not revealed whether it has taken action to seize that property.

However, her alleged role in assisting sanctioned individuals is just one part of what the NCA says are her links to Moscow.

Investigators say that, in 2022, the Russian state used the Smart and TGR crypto-exchange services to move funds for espionage.

Then, in 2023, the NCA says the scheme helped the state-controlled Russia Today media platform, banned in the UK, move cash into the country for one of its operations.

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Russian crypto criminals helped UK drug gangs launder lockdown cash

UK drug gangs paid Russian criminals to swap their dirty street cash for untraceable crypto currency, police say.
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UK warns Putin after Russian spy ship returns to British waters​


The Royal Navy has been monitoring a Russian spy ship after it entered British waters earlier this week, the defence secretary has told MPs.

John Healey said the vessel, Yantar, was used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK's critical underwater infrastructure.

He said the incident was "another example of growing Russian aggression".

Healey added: "I also wanted President Putin to hear this message: we see you, we know what you're doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country."

Russia describes Yantar as an oceanic research vessel and it is operated by the country's Ministry of Defence.

Western nations have often tracked the ship operating in European waters and they suspect part of its mission has been to map undersea cables.

They also believe Russia has been stepping up this activity since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

As well as surveillance equipment the ship can operate submersible drones capable of reaching the ocean floor.

Undersea infrastructure is crucial for energy supply through power cables and pipelines, while more than 95% of internet traffic is also secured via undersea cables.

Healey said Yantar was currently in the North Sea, after passing through UK waters and being detected 45 miles off the British coast in the English Channel on Monday.

"For the last two days the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters," he said.

"I changed the Royal Navy's rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar. So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation."

The defence secretary said it was the second time the vessel had entered British waters in recent months, with Yantar also detected "loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure" in November.

He said a Royal Navy submarine had been authorised to surface close to Yantar "strictly as a deterrent measure" and "to make clear that we have been covertly monitoring its every move".

"The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean," he added.
Healey said the government was strengthening its response to Russian naval activity with its Nato allies.

He said the Royal Air Force would provide surveillance aircraft to join a Nato deployment to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

It comes after an undersea cable between Estonia and Finland was damaged in December, with Finnish police investigating whether a Russian ship was involved.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the Conservative Party stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the government's approach and its "transparency" over the Russian naval threat.

He also welcomed the change to the Royal Navy's rules of engagement, adding: "This sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond."

Cartlidge said the Russian activity showed why defence spending needed to be increased as soon as possible.

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UK warns Putin after Russian spy ship returns to British waters

John Healey says the vessel is used to gather intelligence and map the UK's underwater infrastrcuture.
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Foreign Office expels Russian diplomat in ***-for-tat move after 'spying' row​


The Foreign Office has revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat after a British diplomat was expelled from Moscow last year.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said the Russian ambassador to the UK was summoned for a meeting with a senior British official to revoke the accreditation of the diplomat.

"This is in response to Russia's unprovoked and baseless decision to strip the accreditation of a British diplomat in Moscow in November," they said.

"The UK will not stand for intimidation of our staff in this way, and so we are taking reciprocal action.

"Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly."

It comes after the TASS state news agency in November said an employee of the British Embassy in Moscow had been stripped of his accreditation "for intentionally providing false information when entering the Russian Federation" and accused him of espionage.

Sky News
 
UK army too 'run down' to lead Ukraine peace mission: ex-chief

The UK military is "so run down" it could not lead a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, the former head of the army has said.

Lord Dannatt told the BBC that up to 40,000 UK troops would be needed for such a mission and "we just haven't got that number available".

It comes after Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would "play its part" in guaranteeing Ukraine's security after the prime minister was asked this week if he was open to sending British troops as peacekeepers.

A former Nato chief told the BBC that Britain and France should lead a force of up to 100,000 troops as part of a long-term peacekeeping effort should Russia's war with Ukraine end.

US President Donald Trump earlier this week announced he had had a lengthy conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and that negotiations to stop the "ridiculous war" in Ukraine would begin "immediately".

Trump then "informed" Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, of his plan.

Lord Dannatt - who was head of the Army from 2006 to 2009 - agreed that a force to keep the peace would require about 100,000 troops.

However he said the UK would have to supply "quite a proportion of that and we really couldn't do it".

"Our military is so run down at the present moment, numerically and as far as capability and equipment is concerned, it would potentially be quite embarrassing," he told BBC Radio 4's The Week in Westminster.

"I mean, if we were to deploy 10,000 troops, each rotation for six months, that would effectively tie up 30,000 or 40,000 troops and we just haven't got that number available.

"So there are some big issues here that today's politicians won't really have considered."

It comes as Britain's foreign and defence secretaries called on the UK and Europe to "do more" to "share the burden" of regional security in a joint article for the Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who was Nato secretary-general from 2009 to 2014, said "a number of European countries need to step up to the plate" for any peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, adding that the UK and France should lead that coalition by putting boots on the ground.

"I would let military experts determine [the number] but my guess would be between 50,000 and 100,000 troops," he told BBC Newsnight.

As of October 2024, there were 74,612 members of the UK's regular Army forces (excluding Gurkhas and volunteers), according to the latest Ministry of Defence (MoD) figures.

The Army has targets on how many new recruits below the rank of officer it should take on every year, set out by the MoD. These targets have been missed in almost every single financial year since 2010-11, according to a written answer to Parliament last January.

Lord Dannatt said the Labour government would need to "look at their priorities", adding: "Yes, health, education, roads, infrastructure are important, but actually defence and the security of this nation are more important."

The crossbench peer said he believes the UK government needs to go further than its commitment of increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP - a pledge that they have yet to put a timeline on when it will be delivered.

Zelensky has previously asked for the UK and other European allies including France to send troops to Ukraine for a peacekeeping operation after the war.

Sir Keir last month signed a "landmark" 100-year pact with Ukraine, building on the £12.8bn the UK hass already sent to the country, with further commitments of £3bn every year for "as long as it takes".

The UK will also continue to train Ukrainian troops, 50,000 of whom have been trained on British soil so far.

David Lammy, the British foreign secretary, said he was "very encouraged" by his talks on Ukraine with US Vice-President JD Vance on Friday, on the first day of the Munich Security Conference.

"We share the view that there has to be an enduring peace," Lammy told Reuters news agency following the meeting.

"There was an agreement that Zelensky and the Ukrainians have to be part of that negotiated deal."

However, Lammy and his defence colleague John Healey said that Putin had for two decades sought "to recreate the Russian empire and suffocate the countries around its borders".

"Too often in the past, the West has let him," they said in the Daily Telegraph.

"We did too little in 2008 when he invaded Georgia, and in 2014 when he first went into Ukraine."

In response to Lord Dannatt's comments, an MoD spokesperson said Britain's armed forces were "respected worldwide for their professionalism and excellence".

"Right now, the Ukrainians are still fighting with huge courage. Our government is stepping up support for Ukraine's war fighters to put them in the best possible position for any talks.

The spokesperson cited a £150m "firepower package" announced this week "providing more drones, tanks and air defence systems".

BBC
 
European leaders set to hold emergency summit on Ukraine

European leaders are set to gather next week for an emergency summit on the war in Ukraine, in response to concerns the US is moving ahead with Russia on peace talks that will lock out the continent.

Sir Keir Starmer, who is expected to attend the summit in Paris, said it was a "once-in-a-generation moment for our national security" and it was clear Europe must take a greater role in Nato.

It comes after Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine said European leaders would be consulted but not take part in any talks between US and Russia over ending the war.

Senior White House figures, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are due to meet Russian negotiators in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. US officials said that Ukraine was also invited - although President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country has received no such invitation.

In remarks likely to raise concern in Ukraine and among European allies, special envoy Keith Kellogg said previous negotiations had failed because too many parties had been involved.

"It may be like chalk on the blackboard, it may grate a little bit, but I am telling you something that is really quite honest," he said on Saturday.

Europe remains haunted by the Minsk agreements, a failed ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia reached in 2015. The talks, which were brokered by France and Germany, sought to end fighting in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Sir Keir is understood to see his role as bringing US and Europe together to ensure a united approach to peace in Ukraine.

The UK prime minister will discuss the views of European leaders when he visits US President Trump at the White House at the end of this month.

A further meeting of European leaders together with Zelensky is expected after Sir Keir returns from Washington.

Sir Keir said the UK would "work to ensure we keep the US and Europe together", adding the two could not "allow any divisions in the alliance to distract" from "external enemies".

"This is a once in a generation moment for our national security where we engage with the reality of the world today and the threat we face from Russia," he said.

"It's clear Europe must take on a greater role in Nato as we work with the United States to secure Ukraine's future and face down the threat we face from Russia."

Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Emmanuel Macron had called the summit of European leaders, which has not yet been announced by the French president.

Sikorski said: "President Trump has a method of operating, which the Russians call reconnaissance through battle. You push and you see what happens, and then you change your position, legitimate tactics. And we need to respond."

Earlier on Saturday, Zelensky called for the creation of an "army of Europe" amid rising concern the US may no longer come to the continent's aid.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he said US Vice-President JD Vance's speech at the event had made it clear that the old relationship between Europe and America was "ending" and the continent "needs to adjust to that".

But Zelensky also said Ukraine would "never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement" after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to start peace talks.

Earlier this week the US president announced he had a lengthy phone conversation with the Russian leader and that negotiations to stop the "ridiculous war" in Ukraine would begin "immediately".

Trump then "informed" Zelensky of his plan.

Trump appeared confident that his leadership style could pave the way for a peace deal in Ukraine.

His rapprochement with Putin brought to an end more than three years of silence between Moscow and Washington.

Trump's shock announcement rekindled memories of his meeting with Putin in Helsinki back in 2018.

The two men held nearly two hours of closed-door talks in the Finnish capital and went on to deliver a joint news conference, where Trump defended Russia over claims of interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

His comments came despite US intelligence agencies concluding, in 2016, that Russia was behind an effort to tip the scale of the US election against Hillary Clinton, with a state-authorised campaign of cyber attacks and fake news stories planted on social media.

On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also held a phone call with Russia's foreign minister "building on" the 12 February call between Trump and Putin.

Senior officials from the Trump administration will start peace talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, US Representative Michael McCaul told Reuters news agency.

McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he understood Zelensky had been invited to take part in the Saudi talks, which were aimed at arranging a meeting with Trump, Putin and the Ukrainian president "to finally bring peace and end this conflict".

A day earlier, Vance had launched a scalding attack on European democracies, saying the greatest threat facing the continent was not from Russia and China, but "from within".

In a speech at the Munich Security Conference, he repeated the Trump administration's line that Europe must "step up in a big way to provide for its own defence".

David Lammy has said the UK and EU countries must spend more on defence, with Europe facing an "existential question" even in the event of a negotiated peace in Ukraine.

The UK foreign secretary told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday "Putin will not go away", and that, while it was positive 23 Nato countries were now spending at least 2% of their GDP on defence, "we all know we have to go upward".

BBC
 
I'll back Ukraine in talks with Trump, Starmer says

Sir Keir Starmer will discuss the importance of Ukraine's sovereignty in talks with Donald Trump next week, he said in a call with the country's president.

The UK prime minister reiterated the UK's "ironclad support" for Kyiv when he spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.

The two leaders held their second telephone conversation in four days following US President Trump's decision to re-open relations with Russia and seek an end to the war in Ukraine.

Monday marks three years since Vladimir Putin's invasion, which UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he will mark with further sanctions on Russia.

On Saturday, 2,000 people marched to the Russian embassy in west London , i n support of Ukraine ahead of the anniversary of the invasion.

According to a Downing Street spokesperson the prime minister also said "Ukraine must be at the heart of any negotiations to end the war" and it could be sure of "the UK's commitment to securing a just and enduring peace to bring an end to Russia's illegal war".

Giving details about the phone call, Downing Street said Sir Keir and Zelensky "agreed that this was a significant moment for the future of Ukraine and European security at large".

Sir Keir also told Zelensky "that safeguarding Ukraine's sovereignty was essential to deter future aggression from Russia".

The prime minister added "he would be progressing these important discussions in the coming days and weeks, including with Trump whilst visiting Washington DC next week".

Zelensky said he had a productive talk with Sir Keir, with the pair coordinating "our military cooperation, joint steps, and engagements for the coming week, which will be very active".

In a post on X, he wrote: "The UK and its people are among Ukraine's biggest supporters, and we deeply appreciate this."

Writing in the Sun Sir Keir said Trump was right that European nations must take greater responsibility for their security and increase defence spending.

"We have talked about this for long enough. Now it is time for action.

"President Trump is also right to grasp the nettle and see if a good peace deal is on the table.

"Every time I have spoken with him, I am struck by his commitment to peace," he wrote.

Sir Keir also said Ukraine must have a voice in negotiations and needed strong security guarantees, adding: "I believe America must be part of that guarantee."

In a separate call on Saturday Sir Keir spoke with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and they agreed Europe "must step up for the good of collective European security", Downing Street said.

The UK foreign secretary said upcoming additional UK sanctions on Russia would erode President Putin's "military machine".

"I plan to announce the largest package of sanctions against Russia since the early days of the war," Lammy said, ahead of Monday's anniversary.

The UK will continue to work with the US and Europe to achieve "sustainable, just peace," he added.

Sir Keir's meeting with Trump on Thursday in Washington DC comes after a week which saw a flurry of summits and phone calls as European leaders scrambled to work out how to approach the US president's sudden thawing of relations with Russia.

Ahead of visits to the White House by Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said the pair "haven't done anything" to end the war in Ukraine.

He also said Zelensky had "no cards" in peace negotiations and that he did not think "he's very important to be in meetings".

But UK Defence Secretary John Healey wrote in The Sunday Times newspaper: "Any negotiations about Ukraine cannot happen without Ukraine. We all want the fighting to end, but an insecure peace risks more war."

He added: "I'm proud of UK leadership and UK unity on Ukraine."

Last Monday, European leaders held a hastily-arranged summit in Paris - a day before US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, and amid fears that Ukraine and Europe could be excluded from peace negotiations.

On Tuesday, Trump called Zelensky a "dictator" and said he should "never have started" the war, despite Russia invading Ukraine.

Zelensky responded by saying the US president was "living in a disinformation space" created by Russia.

Margaret Owen, 93, accused Trump of "appeasement", saying she remembered the Munich Agreement in which western powers signed a deal with Hitler in the years before World War Two.

"It's outrageous. We can't let the world be dictated to by these two impossible people," she said of Trump and Putin.

The chair of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, Emily Thornberry, was among the marchers and argued for a less aggressive approach. The Labour MP said: "We want to influence the US president and we agree there must be peace. Why shout at him?

"You'd get a short-term buzz from shouting at Trump but if you want to influence him, let's try and influence him."

"Ukraine needs to be at the table, you can't decide the future of Ukraine without Ukraine there and you can't just capitulate to Putin.

"They have to be invited into this process by the Americans and Russians."

Ukrainian Oleksandra Udovenko, who is from Kyiv and studying in the UK, said: "I'm here to protect my country's interests, my country's independence, and my country's choice and my country's right to be independent of any empire in this world."

BBC
 

Ex-Reform UK leader in Wales Nathan Gill in court over alleged Russian bribes​


The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has appeared in court after he was accused of making favourable statements about Russia in the European Parliament in exchange for bribes.

Nathan Gill, 51, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery under the Criminal Law Act 1977, and with eight counts of bribery under the Bribery Act, 2010, the Metropolitan Police said.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard Gill allegedly made statements in the European Parliament and in opinion pieces to news outlets, such as 112 Ukraine, which were "supportive of a particular narrative" and would "benefit Russia regarding events in Ukraine".

Gill - who was an MEP for almost six years and a member of the Welsh parliament, the Senedd, between 2016 and 2017 - is alleged to have been asked by former Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn to make specific statements about Russia in return for money on at least eight occasions.

The conspiracy to commit bribery charge relates to allegations that Gill conspired with Voloshyn and "others" between 1 January 2018 and 1 February 2020.

It claims he accepted "quantities of money in cash" which was "improper performance by him of his function or activity as the holder" of a position as an MEP.

The other bribery offences are alleged to have taken place between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019.

Gill, from Llangefni on Anglesey, was previously a member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), leading the Welsh wing of the party between 2014 and 2016.

He left UKIP in 2019, and the same year he joined Nigel Farage's Brexit Party - later Reform UK - and was elected as a Brexit Party MEP.

Gill was confirmed as leader of Reform UK Wales in 2021 ahead of Senedd elections, but reports suggest he left the party months later when he failed to win a seat.

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Ex-Reform UK leader in Wales Nathan Gill in court over alleged Russian bribes

Mr Gill is alleged to have been asked to make specific statements about Russia in return for money.
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UK defence spending to rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 - as Starmer hits out at 'tyrant' Putin​


Defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 while the foreign aid budget will be cut, Sir Keir Starmer has announced ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump.

The prime minister, in an unexpected statement in parliament, announced spending would be increased to 2.5% of the UK's GDP by 2027 from the current 2.3%.

He also said he wants defence spending to increase to 3% of GDP in the next parliament, but that would mean Labour winning the next election, set for 2029.

The number is much lower than the US president has demanded NATO members spend on defence, with Mr Trump saying they should all be spending 5% - an amount last seen during the Cold War.

Sir Keir also announced the government would cut back on foreign aid to fund the increase, reducing current spending from 0.5% of GDP to 0.3%.

Moments before the announcement, the Foreign Office said it was pausing some aid to Rwanda due to its role in the conflict in neighbouring Congo.

Sir Keir said the reduction in foreign aid is "not a renouncement I'm happy to make", as charities said the cuts would mean more people in the poorest parts of the world would die.

He reiterated the government's commitment to NATO, which he described as the "bedrock of our security", and criticised Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying "tyrants only respond to strength".

Addressing his upcoming visit to the White House to meet Mr Trump, he said he wants the UK's relationship with the US to go from "strength to strength".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the defence spending increase and said she had written to him over the weekend to suggest how he could redirect money from the overseas development budget.

"This is absolutely right," she told the Commons.

"And I look forward to him taking up my other suggestion of looking at what we can do on welfare."

She urged him to not increase taxes further or to borrow more to fund the rise, but to ensure the economy grows to support it.

Former Conservative defence secretary Ben Wallace said an extra 0.2% was "a staggering desertion of leadership".

"Tone deaf to dangers of the world and demands of the United States," he wrote on X.

"Such a weak commitment to our security and nation puts us all at risk."

Labour MP Sarah Champion, chair of the international development committee, said cutting the foreign aid budget is "deeply shortsighted and doesn't make anyone safer".

"The deep irony is that development money can prevent wars and is used to patch up the consequences of them, cutting this support is counterproductive and I urge the government to rethink," she wrote on X.

Charities condemned the cut, with ActionAid saying cutting the aid budget to fund the military "only adds insult to injury" and "flies in the face of UN charters", adding it was a "political choice with devastating consequences".

Labour promised in their manifesto to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from the current 2.3%, however, ministers have previously refused to set out a timeline.

They previously insisted a "path" to get to 2.5% would be set out after a defence spending review is published this spring.

However, after Donald Trump came to power in January, all European governments have faced increasing pressure to raise defence spending immediately.

Mr Trump wants them to raise it to 5% of GDP - something which was last achieved during the Cold War.

news.sky.com

UK defence spending to rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 - as Starmer hits out at 'tyrant' Putin

Defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 while the foreign aid budget will be cut, Sir Keir Starmer has announced ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump.
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Starmer announces 'coalition of the willing' to guarantee Ukraine peace

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war and defend the country from Russia.

The UK, France and other countries will step up their efforts in a "coalition of the willing" and seek to involve the US in their support for Ukraine, he said.

"We are at a crossroads in history today," Starmer said after a summit of 18 leaders - mostly from Europe and including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said Ukraine felt "strong support" and the summit showed "European unity at an extremely high level not seen for a long time".

It comes two days after a fiery exchange between the Ukrainian leader and US President Donald Trump in the White House.

"We are all working together in Europe in order to find a basis for cooperation with America for a true peace and guaranteed security," Zelensky said after the summit.

Speaking at a news conference shortly after the meeting of leaders, Starmer said four points had been agreed:

  • to keep military aid flowing into Ukraine, and to keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia
  • that any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and security and Ukraine must be present at any peace talks
  • in the event of a peace deal, to boost Ukraine's defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion
  • to develop a "coalition of the willing" to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee peace afterwards
Sir Keir also announced an additional £1.6bn ($2bn) of UK export finance to buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles. This comes on top of a £2.2bn loan to provide more military aid to Ukraine backed by profits from frozen Russian assets.

"We have to learn from the mistakes of the past, we cannot accept a weak deal which Russia can breach with ease, instead any deal must be backed by strength," he said.

The prime minister did not state which countries had agreed to join this coalition of the willing, but said that those who had committed would intensify planning with real urgency.

The UK, he said, would back its commitment with "boots on the ground, and planes in the air".

"Europe must do the heavy lifting," he said, before adding that the agreement would need US backing and had to include Russia, but that Moscow could not be allowed to dictate terms.

"Let me be clear, we agree with Trump on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver together," Sir Keir said.

When asked if the US under Trump was an unreliable ally, he said: "Nobody wanted to see what happened last Friday, but I do not accept that the US is an unreliable ally."

Countries at the summit included France, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, Norway, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Finland, Italy, Spain and Canada.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that there was now an urgent need to "re-arm Europe".

These sentiments were echoed by Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said the meeting had seen European countries "stepping up" to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to "stay in the fight as long as it has to continue".

After the summit, Zelensky went to Sandringham where he met King Charles III. He later spoke to reporters at a final press briefing where he said he was ready to sign a deal on minerals with the US.

Ukraine was expected to sign the deal - which would grant the US access to Ukraine's rare mineral reserves - during Zelensky's visit to Washington, but the Ukrainian delegation ultimately left early after a heated confrontation with Trump in the Oval Office.

Earlier on Sunday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned a deal on minerals between the US and Ukraine could not be signed "without a peace deal" with Russia.

But when asked by the BBC about the future of the deal following the summit, Zelensky said it was ready to be signed.

"The agreement that's on the table will be signed if the parties are ready," he said.

Sunday's summit concludes a hectic week of diplomacy, which included visits to Washington by French President Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir and Zelensky.

Zelensky's meeting, however, culminated in a heated exchanged with Trump and US Vice-President JD Vance, in which the US president accused his Ukrainian counterpart of "gambling with World War Three".

Trump has said he wants to end the war in Ukraine and has expressed trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin, to the consternation of many of his Western allies.

The US has also begun peace talks with Russia - excluding Ukraine.

At one point, the US leader accused Ukraine of starting the war - even though it was Putin who launched a full-scale invasion of Russia's neighbour on 24 February 2022.

BBC
 

Bulgarians guilty of spying for Russia in the UK​


Three Bulgarian nationals have been found guilty of spying for Russia in the UK.

Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, all from London, were part of a group of Bulgarians who spied between 2020 and 2023.

The cell undertook elaborate surveillance on people and places targeted by Russia, including investigative journalists and a US military base in Germany, with members crisscrossing Europe from their base in the UK.

Their plans were laid out in thousands of messages exchanged between the cell's leaders and recovered by police.

The messages included plots to kidnap and kill some of the group's targets as well as plans to ensnare them in so-called honeytraps.

Fellow Bulgarians Orlin Roussev, 47, from Great Yarmouth, and Biser Dzhambazov, 43, from London, had previously admitted conspiracy to spy, while a sixth defendant, Ivan Stoyanov, 34, also admitted spying before the trial and his conviction can now be reported for the first time.

Ivanova was also convicted of possessing multiple false identity documents.

Key targets were investigative journalists Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov, whose work includes exposing Russia's role in the nerve agent attacks on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020 and Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018.

www.bbc.com

Bulgarians guilty of spying for Russia in the UK

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@KingKhanWC @Markhor

What do you guys think about the level of support we are giving Ukraine, defence budget has gone up as well; am not sure how I feel about it when Trump is willing to give Israel unconditional support, so it isn’t straight forward anymore to say that one party is more blood thirsty then the other.

From a UK POV, it’s disappointing that we cut aid to boost defence and even more so given the inflation pressures and cost of living crisis which isn’t over by any stretch of the imagination.
 
shaz619 said:
@KingKhanWC @Markhor

What do you guys think about the level of support we are giving Ukraine, defence budget has gone up as well; am not sure how I feel about it when Trump is willing to give Israel unconditional support, so it isn’t straight forward anymore to say that one party is more blood thirsty then the other.

From a UK POV, it’s disappointing that we cut aid to boost defence and even more so given the inflation pressures and cost of living crisis which isn’t over by any stretch of the imagination.
Click to expand...

Trump said he will cut aid to Ukraine, the next day he backtracks. This shows two things, 1. Don't listen to what Trump says, see what actually happens or is happening. 2. Trump is not in charge, he is the showman. Money keeps pouring into Ukraine from Europe and America inc mostly in the form of weapons. Zionism owns America, it controls the finances, most politicians, media, entertainment etc. The last great leader of USA was JFK, he didn't want Israel to acquire nukes and spoke up against outside powers controlling US policy/politicians , by coincidence was shot dead. Imo Zionism is directly linked with the war proxy war between Russia and Nato, using Ukrainian land and blood to further its interests. Putin and his top politicians are the only non-Muslims to speak out against Israeli aggression and have supported nations and resistance against Israel. All of the west want to the war to continue. USA has invested so much it simply wont pull out, intel is still being shared, Trump has no idea. Ideally the Zionists want Russia and Nato to all out war, destroying each other and taking the world to a new future, nobody can imagine, this will allow them to fulfil the Greater Israel project which has stalled because of the Palestinian resistance showing strength which will go do in human history.

As for the United Kingdom, this nation will be the first sacrificial lamb if/when a huge war breaks out. Boosting the defence budget is the least of our concerns, they have been manipulating public with worry of Russians coming to the shores, with weekly stories of Russian ships in UK waters. They are slowly brainwashing people so when the time comes, people will send their young sons and daughters to die in Ukraine. Putting boots on the ground in Ukraine will mean a real war with Russia where Putin will strike UK bases if need be. 10 years ago after the coup in 2014 this seemed lunacy to think this, now it still seems crazy but is more reality than fiction. If and when they decide to force Brits to go fight, grab your passport, all your wealth and gtfo of here bro. Id say 5 years time this will occur or by the Grace of God, their plans are scuffled and things will be secure for UK, Europe and the world.
 
KingKhanWC said:
Trump said he will cut aid to Ukraine, the next day he backtracks. This shows two things, 1. Don't listen to what Trump says, see what actually happens or is happening. 2. Trump is not in charge, he is the showman. Money keeps pouring into Ukraine from Europe and America inc mostly in the form of weapons. Zionism owns America, it controls the finances, most politicians, media, entertainment etc. The last great leader of USA was JFK, he didn't want Israel to acquire nukes and spoke up against outside powers controlling US policy/politicians , by coincidence was shot dead. Imo Zionism is directly linked with the war proxy war between Russia and Nato, using Ukrainian land and blood to further its interests. Putin and his top politicians are the only non-Muslims to speak out against Israeli aggression and have supported nations and resistance against Israel. All of the west want to the war to continue. USA has invested so much it simply wont pull out, intel is still being shared, Trump has no idea. Ideally the Zionists want Russia and Nato to all out war, destroying each other and taking the world to a new future, nobody can imagine, this will allow them to fulfil the Greater Israel project which has stalled because of the Palestinian resistance showing strength which will go do in human history.

As for the United Kingdom, this nation will be the first sacrificial lamb if/when a huge war breaks out. Boosting the defence budget is the least of our concerns, they have been manipulating public with worry of Russians coming to the shores, with weekly stories of Russian ships in UK waters. They are slowly brainwashing people so when the time comes, people will send their young sons and daughters to die in Ukraine. Putting boots on the ground in Ukraine will mean a real war with Russia where Putin will strike UK bases if need be. 10 years ago after the coup in 2014 this seemed lunacy to think this, now it still seems crazy but is more reality than fiction. If and when they decide to force Brits to go fight, grab your passport, all your wealth and gtfo of here bro. Id say 5 years time this will occur or by the Grace of God, their plans are scuffled and things will be secure for UK, Europe and the world.
Click to expand...
Wow, this is the most bizzare conspiracy theory I have seen. :inti
 
shaz619 said:
@KingKhanWC @Markhor

What do you guys think about the level of support we are giving Ukraine, defence budget has gone up as well; am not sure how I feel about it when Trump is willing to give Israel unconditional support, so it isn’t straight forward anymore to say that one party is more blood thirsty then the other.

From a UK POV, it’s disappointing that we cut aid to boost defence and even more so given the inflation pressures and cost of living crisis which isn’t over by any stretch of the imagination.
Click to expand...

It's utter nonsense. Britain won't be going to war with Russia unless someone has a brain fart and thinks we are somehow reliving the Days of the Raj. We are halfway across the world from them. Let Poland or Germany deal with them, when they get closer to home we can worry about it then. Russia's military arsenal is mostly outdated anyway, why would they want to march across Europe? It's fearmongering BS.
 
Keir Starmer: ‘Putin is dragging his feet over 30-day Ukraine ceasefire’

Keir Starmer accused Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet over agreeing to a ceasefire with Ukraine on Saturday as international pressure grew on the Russian president to enter talks.

The prime minister said there was a limit to the length of time Putin could prevaricate, after he convened a virtual summit with 29 other international leaders who agreed to take plans for a peacekeeping force to an “operational phase”.

Starmer said military chiefs would meet in London on Thursday to “put strong and robust plans in place to swing in behind a peace deal and guarantee Ukraine’s future security”.

Those who took part in the virtual summit included the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Afterwards, Starmer said “new commitments” had been made on both peacekeeping and tightening sanctions on Russia.

“Sooner or later, he is going to have to come to the table and engage in serious discussions,” the prime minister said.

“So this is the moment: let the guns fall silent, let the barbaric attacks on Ukraine once and for all stop, and agree to a ceasefire now.”

As well as the European nations, the leaders of Australia, Canada and New Zealand also joined the call, as did Nato’s secretary general, Mark Rutte.

Saturday’s meeting followed an intense week of diplomacy in which American and Ukrainian officials agreed on a proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which was put to Russia.

But the Kremlin has so far resisted the deal, saying it would only agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine also agreed to abandon its aim of joining Nato and gave up some of its territory to Russia.

In Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Russia was playing for time so it could get into a stronger military position before any ceasefire.

“I think the delaying of the process is exactly because of what I said. They want to improve their situation on the battlefield,” Zelenskyy told a group of journalists in a briefing at the presidential administration.

He said Ukraine had shown its willingness to agree to US proposals for a temporary ceasefire during which terms for a more lasting deal could be discussed, as agreed last week at talks in Saudi Arabia.

“Today, Putin is the one who doesn’t agree with what [Donald] Trump has proposed,” he said.

Zelenskyy said Russia’s attempts to impose conditions on a ceasefire should be rejected out of hand.

“This is a ceasefire for 30 days; it’s not for ever, it’s 30 days, during which all sides have the chance to demonstrate their willingness to end the war,” he said.

Although it is clear that any potential agreement would probably require Ukraine to accept de facto Russian control of some Ukrainian land, he ruled out formally ceding any territory to Russia.

“Our position is that we do not recognise the occupied Ukrainian territories as Russian in any case,” he said. Zelenskyy called the territorial issue complex and said it should be “resolved later, at the negotiating table”.

Writing in the Observer, the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, also taunted Putin, saying he had been put on the spot by Ukraine’s agreement to a ceasefire and the moves, led by the US president, Donald Trump, to end the conflict.

“The proposal for a ceasefire is therefore a test. He can’t simply say he is ready to end this war – he has to prove it.”

Lammy, who attended a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Canada last week, said the group of nations known as the “coalition of the willing” was determined to create the conditions “that guarantee that Russia does not come back for more”.

Referring to the security guarantee that these nations plan to offer, Lammy added: “To be credible, it needs US support. But Britain and our allies recognise that the bulk of the contribution must come from Europeans.”

Asked about whether he discussed seizing Russian assets with his counterparts, Starmer said it had been on the agenda but added it was “a complicated question”.

Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine launched drone attacks overnight, each reporting more than 100 enemy drones entering their respective airspaces.

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/politic...agging-his-feet-over-30-day-ukraine-ceasefire
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
It's utter nonsense. Britain won't be going to war with Russia unless someone has a brain fart and thinks we are somehow reliving the Days of the Raj. We are halfway across the world from them. Let Poland or Germany deal with them, when they get closer to home we can worry about it then. Russia's military arsenal is mostly outdated anyway, why would they want to march across Europe? It's fearmongering BS.
Click to expand...

A war between UK and Russia is unlikely. I don't think they are reckless enough to do this.
 
UK to host new Ukraine peacekeeping talks

The UK is hosting a closed meeting on Thursday of senior military leaders from the "coalition of the willing", as they draw up plans for a proposed peacekeeping force for Ukraine.

More than 20 countries are thought to be involved.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to attend on Thursday afternoon after first visiting Barrow, where he is due to lay the keel of one of Britain's next generation of nuclear-armed submarines.

Plans for a Western-led peacekeeping force for Ukraine are said to be moving to an operational phase.

Senior military officers from nations that make up the "coalition of the willing", led by Britain and France, are due to discuss how this would work in practice when they gather at the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood.

But there remain some major obstacles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow will not tolerate the presence of any Nato member troops in Ukraine, regardless of their role.

The US is also proving reluctant to provide the necessary air cover that prospective members say they need.

Sir Keir is expected to attend part of the meeting after first visiting Barrow where he will lay the keel of HMS Dreadnought, one of the next generation of nuclear-armed submarines.

On his visit to the town, Sir Keir will say Barrow is a "blueprint" for how defence spending can benefit a community.

He is due to announce that the King has agreed to grant Barrow the title of "Royal" in recognition of its contribution to national security.

Earlier he visited the crew of one of Britain's nuclear submarines, HMS Vanguard, as it returned to Scotland after patrolling the waters of the north Atlantic.

The prime minister told reporters the Kremlin respected the UK's nuclear arsenal because "we've got our own independent deterrent and we're committed to Nato".

"What is obviously important is they appreciate that it is what it is which is a credible capability," he said. "And that it most certainly is."

Defence Secretary John Healey, who joined the prime minister on the visit, stressed the government's "unshakeable" commitment to the UK's nuclear deterrent, which he called "the ultimate guarantor of our national security and the security of our Nato allies".

BBC
 
UK announces further £450m military support to Ukraine

The government has announced a further £450m of military support to Kyiv, as the UK and Germany prepare to host a meeting of 50 nations in Brussels.

Defence officials are convening to "pile pressure" on Russian President Vladimir Putin and force him to end his invasion of Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.

"We must step up to deter Russian aggression by continuing to bolster Ukraine's defences," he added.

The package includes funding for hundreds of thousands of drones, anti-tanks mines and and repairs to military vehicles.

About £350m will be provided by the UK, with extra funding from Norway via the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine.

The package includes £160m to provide repairs and maintenance to vehicles and equipment the UK has already provided to Ukraine.

A "close fight" military aid package, with funding for radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds of thousands of drones, worth more than £250m is also part of the package, the government said.

Healey said the work of the group "is vital to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position".

"We cannot jeopardise peace by forgetting the war, which is why today's major package will surge support to Ukraine's frontline fight," he said.

"2025 is the critical year for Ukraine.

"Our job as defence ministers is to put into the hands of the Ukrainian war fighters what they need."

The fund follows a series of military pledges to Ukraine from the UK.

Last month, Sir Keir Starmer announced a £1.6bn missile deal for Ukraine, following a summit of European leaders in London, on top of a £2.2bn loan to provide more military aid backed by profits from frozen Russian assets.

The Lib Dems said the support package announced on Friday was "small change" and called for the government to seize Russian assets in Britain to give Ukraine more funding.

"While we welcome any increase in support for Ukraine, this package is small change compared to what's needed to combat Putin's barbaric war," the party's defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire said.

Healey and his German counterpart, defence minister Boris Pistorius, are co-chairing Friday's meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which had traditionally been hosted by the US defence secretary until Donald Trump became president in January.

Since then, in a sign of the US stepping back from European security matters, Healey has taken over as chair.

The meeting follows a similar gathering of defence ministers from 30 countries in the Franco-British-led "coalition of the willing", who met in Brussels to discuss installing a force in Ukraine to ensure enduring peace.

Healey said he did not envisage "a reassurance force" that will "separate the currently warring sides down the line of contact", according to the AFP news agency, but added that bolstering Ukraine's armies would be a key part of the plan.

BBC
 
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