Russians appalled by Ukraine war should spy for UK, says MI6 boss Sir Richard Moore
The head of MI6 has urged Russians appalled by the horrors of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine to switch sides and spy for the UK to help end the bloodshed.
In an extraordinary public recruitment pitch, Sir Richard Moore used a speech to reveal a number of individuals had already taken this step over the past 18 months since Russia launched its invasion.
He also said the Russian president was “under pressure” and had to cut a deal with the boss of the Wagner mercenary company to “save his own skin”.
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The chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), better known as MI6, did not specify who his overtures were aimed at but disaffected Russian intelligence officers, military officials and diplomats would make valuable assets.
“There are many Russians today who are silently appalled by the sight of their armed forces pulverising Ukrainian cities, expelling innocent families from their homes and kidnapping thousands of children,” Sir Richard said.
“They are watching in horror as their soldiers ravage a kindred country. They know in their hearts that Putin‘s case for attacking a fellow Slavic nation is fraudulent.”
Sir Richard Moore
The spymaster, who rarely steps out of the shadows, made his remarks in a speech at the British embassy in the Czech capital, that was streamed live.
He drew on the historic horrors inflicted on his host country in 1968 – when the then Soviet Union violently crushed an uprising known as the Prague Spring.
The brutality prompted Russian officials, disgusted by what was happening, to defect and spy for the UK.
Sir Richard seemed to hope the carnage in Ukraine would stir a new wave of defections.
“As they witness the venality, infighting and callous incompetence of their leaders – the human factor at its worst – many more Russians are wrestling with the same dilemmas and the same tugs of conscience as their predecessors did in 1968,” he said.
“I invite them to do what others have already done this past 18 months and join hands with us.
“Our door is always open. We will handle their offers of help with the discretion and professionalism for which our service is famed.
“Their secrets will always be safe with us and together we will work to bring the bloodshed to an end. My service lives by the principle that our loyalty to our agents is lifelong and our gratitude eternal.”
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He also highlighted a short-lived mutiny in Russia last month by the head of the mercenary group Wagner, saying in a question and answer session after the speech that he thought Yevgeny Prigozhin was still “floating around” and had even been for tea with President Putin.
Sir Richard said the rebellion had exposed weakness and division at the heart of the Kremlin and that Putin had been forced to cut a deal with his former prodigy to “save his own skin”.
Asked by a journalist from the news website Politico, who conducted an interview with Sir Richard after his speech, whether Russia’s president was desperate or mad, the MI6 boss said: “He is clearly under pressure.”
He pointed to how a convoy of Wagner mercenaries were able last month to move towards Moscow in their aborted coup as a sign of a lack of grip on power.
As to whether the Wagner chief was still alive, Sir Richard said: “As far as we can tell, Prigozhin is floating around.
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“He went for tea with Putin to give him advice along with a number of others. Sometimes these things are mysterious even for me.”
He said the best way for the Kremlin to regain stability would be to withdraw its forces from Ukraine.
“No one wants to humiliate Putin – still less humiliate Russia, the great nation that he misrules. But the answer to these conundrums is very clear – to remove troops from Ukraine.”
His speech covered a range of other topics, including the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and how computers would not replace human spies.
“In fact, the opposite is likely to be true. As AI trawls the ocean of open source, there will be even greater value in landing, with a well-cast fly, the secrets that lie beyond the reach of its nets,” the spy chief said.
The public outing was not all serious.
Sir Richard was asked about a pair of cufflinks he was wearing – Marmite pots, one saying “love” and the other saying “hate”, in a nod to the divisive sandwich filling.
He joked about how he was doing his bit to help sell British produce to the Czechs.
World
Ten explosions near international airport in India-administered part of Kashmir, officials say
Ten explosions have been heard near Srinagar International Airport in India-administered parts of Kashmir, officials have told Reuters news agency.
The blasts followed blackouts caused by multiple projectiles, which were seen in the sky above the city of Jammu earlier on Friday.
Explosions were also heard in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, in the neighbouring Punjab state, according to Reuters.
An Indian military official told the agency that “drones have been sighted” and “they are being engaged”.
It comes as tensions between India and Pakistan across the line of control around the region of Kashmir have boiled over this week, leading to fears of a wider conflict.
On Wednesday morning, India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered parts of the disputed region.
The retaliation came weeks after 26 people, mainly Indian tourists, were shot dead by gunmen in an India-administered part of Kashmir last month.
The government in India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, while Pakistan said it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
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Explained: India-Pakistan conflict
Around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday, according to casualty estimates on both sides – which have not been independently verified.
India also suspended its top cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, as a result of rising tensions, while the Pakistan Super League moved the remainder of its season to the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a conference on Friday that the US is in constant contact with both India and Pakistan.
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Conclaves are famously unpredictable affairs – and once again the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the new pope caught many by surprise.
The newly elected Pope Leo XIV won the consensus of the 133 cardinal electors after only four ballots – a fast process for a diverse college of cardinals.
Though his name had circulated among some Vatican watchers, other cardinals had emerged as clear front-runners, including Pietro Parolin – the Vatican’s number two who would have been the first Italian in almost 50 years to become pontiff – or Luis Tagle, a Filipino cardinal looking to become the first Asian pope.
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Instead, it was the first North American to win the highly secretive process.
So, what went on behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel?
Until Thursday lunchtime, Cardinal Parolin was ahead, gathering between 45 and 55 votes, sources say.
A substantial number, but well short of the 89 votes he needed for a two-thirds majority.
At this point, Cardinal Prevost had between 34 and 44 votes.
But as the Italian struggled to grow his support during the first three rounds of voting, he stepped down from the race, endorsing Prevost instead, Sky News understands.
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An internal battle between Luis Tagle and Pablo Virgilio David – both cardinals hailing from Asia – cancelled out both of their chances.
And a contender from Africa – the most conservative sector of the church – was never likely for a conclave where the overwhelming majority of cardinals had been appointed by Francis, a progressive pontiff, sources say.
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An American pope has long been seen as highly improbable, given the geopolitical power of the US.
But Cardinal Prevost was able to draw from across the groups making up the electors: moderate US cardinals, South American cardinals and many European cardinals all coalesced around him.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica said Prevost “certainly attracted cross-party preferences, both ideologically and geographically”.
“In the conclave he was the least American of Americans: Born in Chicago, he lived 20 years in Peru,” the newspaper said.
It added: “As a man used to teamwork, Prevost appeared to many as the right man to make the papacy evolve into a more collegial form.”
Standing on Red Square, this was an intimidating sight, which felt much more like a celebration of war rather than peace.
I could feel the ground shake as the tanks rolled past, their caterpillar tracks on the ancient cobbles providing a deafening clatter.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up in fear as the phalanxes of troops roared “Hurrah” in response to their commander in chief.
And the sight of combat drones being paraded on their launchers was actually quite sickening. Weapons that have been at the forefront of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were paraded in a show of pomp and patriotism.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin watch the procession. Pic: Reuters
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For the rest of Europe, the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War has been a celebration of peace, but this felt much more like a celebration of war.
And it wasn’t just military hardware on display here, but the very identity of modern Russia.
Pic: Reuters
For this is a country that is now defined by its military and its memory. The glory and sacrifice of 1945 have been weaponised to give credence to Russia’s current course and to make people believe that victory is their right.
For Russians, it served as a rallying cry and there was applause when the troops who have fought against Ukraine marched past.
But for those watching in Kyiv and other European capitals, it was an overt warning that Moscow has no intention of backing down.
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The parade was considerably larger in scale than in recent years, when units and hardware have been needed on the battlefield. I think it was a deliberate attempt to project an image of confidence, and so was Vladimir Putin‘s positioning of his guests.
China’s Xi Jinping was given a prime position on the Kremlin leader’s right-hand side. It was no surprise given the economic lifeline Beijing has provided, but it felt like a particularly pointed gesture to the West – that they were looking at a new world order.
Despite that appearance of confidence, there were signs of Moscow’s unease that the parade could be disrupted.
There were snipers on every rooftop. Security was extremely tight. And the mobile internet signal across the city centre was completely shut down for fear of Ukrainian drone attacks, meaning none of the international media that had gathered could broadcast any live transmissions.
After the parade finished, Putin saluted the crowds as they spontaneously erupted into rhythmic shouts of “Rus-si-ya” at the sight of him.
Another PR coup complete without interruption, he will have departed as a very happy man.
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