Vladimir Putin's Russian spies 'recruiting far-right activists to carry out terror attacks in UK'
Vladimir Putin is reportedly recruiting far-right extremists to carry out terror attacks in the UK.
The Sun reports that the mercenary spies, who set fire to a Ukrainian aid center in London, could target other Western European locations.
The Kremlin’s GRU intelligence and Wagner mercenary group, known for their brief coup attempt in Moscow last year, are believed to be recruiting right-wing extremists.
An intelligence source told National Security News: "The GRU are cultivating a network of right-wing terrorists to deploy against Nato targets.
"These attacks are already happening and have been going on for a while in various Nato countries and the UK is definitely on the target list.”
The warning comes after Colonel Elovik Maxim was expelled from the UK after the Russian defence attache was found to be a spy.
Britain expelled dozens of Russian spies after the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.
"Intelligence agencies are now actively warning their governments that the threat is very real,” the so-called insider added.
"Right-wing extremists are being targeted because they are the group in the political spectrum who are pro-Russia, pro-Putin and very violent.
"There is also a lot of covert contact between right-wing groups in different countries."
A government has not officially confirmed the presence of spies and right wing types being targeted but has confirmed that it is looking into all kinds of threats.
A spokesman said: “The Government actively deters and defends against the full spectrum of threats emanating from Russia, working in partnership with our allies.
“We recently announced that we are expelling the Russian Defence Attaché and are removing the diplomatic status from several Russian premises as part of a package to tighten defences against malign activity by Russia across the UK and Europe.
“This is the toughest package of bilateral measures imposed on Russia since Salisbury and sits alongside the significant powers of the National Security Act 2023, which are already being used to keep us safe from state threats.
“Alongside the US and Australia, we have also sanctioned a senior Russia-based leader of LockBit, once one of the world’s most pernicious cybercrime gangs.”
