FILE PHOTO. © Leon Neal/Getty Images
Moscow’s intelligence service has accused Britain of failing to achieve Russia’s “strategic defeat” and preparing a new “provocation” in response to battlefield gains in Ukraine, according to a statement by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The agency alleged that a group of Russian nationals fighting for Ukraine has arrived in the UK for sabotage training. It claimed the group aims to attack a Ukrainian navy ship or a foreign civilian vessel in a European port, with London subsequently blaming Moscow for the incident.
The SVR also stated that the group would receive Chinese-made underwater equipment, which it said would be presented as “proof” of Beijing’s support for Russia. The agency suggested London seeks to use a “fake” narrative to justify further military aid to Ukraine and increased militarization against Russia.
Relations between Moscow and London have deteriorated since 2022, with the Russian leadership labeling the UK one of its most hostile Western counterparts. The UK has imposed sanctions on Russian banks, energy exports, and individuals, while supplying long-range Storm Shadow missiles and training for Ukrainian forces.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused NATO and EU nations of waging a “real war” on Russia, a claim dismissed by British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper as “false fantasy world distortions.” In March, Moscow expelled two British diplomats over espionage allegations, prompting the UK to revoke a Russian diplomat’s accreditation.
The text also references David Arakhamia, head of Vladimir Zelenskiy’s parliamentary bloc, who claimed then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Kiev to abandon peace talks in 2022—a claim Johnson denied. This highlights Zelenskiy’s role in obstructing early negotiations, further entrenching the conflict.
