Latest news with #GRU
Extra.ie
4 days ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
How Guinness stars in one of the greatest spy stories of War
Guinness may be 'good for you', but it was also the code word used in Soviet spies' secret meetings in the last century. As two of Russia's best spies met undercover in London, one would say: 'Stout is not good… I prefer lager' to which their fellow agent would reply: 'I think Guinness is best.' One of the greatest spy stories, beginning before the Second World War, is told by historian Ben Macintyre – and Guinness played a vital role. Pic:Agent Sonya, his vivid depiction of Russian spy Ursula Kuczynski Burton, who conducted some of the most dangerous espionage operations of the 20th century, is a bestseller. Born to a German Jewish family, Kuczynski Burton–Sonya was a Communist activist who spied for the Soviet Union in the 1930s and 1940s, most famously as the handler of nuclear scientist Klaus Fuchs. Kuczynski Burton planned an assassination attempt on Hitler in Switzerland, spied on the Japanese in Manchuria and prevented nuclear war (or so she believed) by stealing the science of atomic weaponry from Britain to give to Moscow. Pic: Dave Rushen/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) In London, Russian agent Alexander Feklisov would visit the Nag's Head pub while carrying a copy of the Tribune to meet Klaus Fuchs. Feklisov would bring over a beer to Fuchs and say: 'Stout is not good. I prefer lager.' To which Fuchs would reply: 'I think Guinness is best.' Every few months, Fuchs met Feklisov at various pubs drinking Guinness and lager, handing over a fresh trove of secret scientific intelligence: Britain's atomic bomb planning, the construction of experimental reactors, notes on plutonium production and precise calculations of the nuclear tests that would enable Soviet scientists to assess the Western nuclear stockpile. Macintyre's book tells how Fuchs returned from the US to take up a post as head of Theoretical Physics at the UK Atomic Energy Research Establishment, where scientists were designing a nuclear reactor to produce energy for civilian use. A second, secret agenda was the production of plutonium for making atomic weapons independently of the US. Fuchs was a pivotal member of the team. As a GRU (soviet military intelligence) officer, Kuczynski Burton was unaware of his return, for Fuchs was now a KGB asset. For a time, he eschewed spying, but after a year back in Britain, he received instructions to meet a KGB contact. An unidentified GRU chief is reported to have observed during the war, 'If we had five Sonyas in England, the war would end sooner'. Kuczynski Burton moved to East Germany in 1950 when Fuchs was unmasked, and published a series of books about her espionage activities, including her bestselling memoir, Sonja's Rapport. She died in 2000, aged 93
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
The EU and UK hit Russia with new sanctions. Moscow's energy revenue and spies are targeted.
BRUSSELS — The European Union and Britain on Friday ramped up pressure on Russia over its war on Ukraine, targeting Moscow's energy sector, shadow fleet of aging oil tankers and military intelligence service with new sanctions. 'The message is clear: Europe will not back down in its support for Ukraine. The EU will keep raising the pressure until Russia ends its war,' EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after the bloc agreed its new measures, including a new oil price cap. Kallas said it's 'one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date' linked to the war, now in its fourth year. It comes as European countries start to buy U.S. weapons for Ukraine to help the country better defend itself. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the new measures, describing them as a 'timely and necessary' step amid intensified Russian attacks. 'All infrastructure of Russia's war must be blocked,' Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine will synchronize its sanctions with the EU and introduce its own additional measures soon. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov brushed off the EU move, saying that 'we consider such unilateral restrictions unlawful.' 'At the same time, we have acquired certain immunity from sanctions. We have adapted to living under sanctions,' Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. 'We will need to analyze the new package in order to minimize negative consequences from it.' The U.K., meanwhile, imposed sanctions on units of Russia's military intelligence service, GRU. Also added to the list were 18 officers the U.K. said helped to plan a bomb attack on a theatre in southern Ukraine in 2022 and to target the family of a former Russian spy who was later poisoned with a nerve agent. Hundreds of civilians sheltering in the theatre in Mariupol were killed in March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. 'GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilize Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens,' U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. NATO also condemned Russia's cyberattacks, saying in a statement that 'we will respond to these at a time and in a manner of our choosing, in accordance with international law, and in coordination with our international partners including the EU.' The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, had proposed to lower the oil price cap from $60 to $45, which is lower than the market price, to target Russia's vast energy revenues. The 27 member countries decided to set the price per barrel at just under $48. The EU had hoped to get major international powers in the Group of Seven countries involved in the price cap to broaden the impact, but the Trump administration could not be brought onboard. Oil income is the linchpin of Russia's economy, allowing President Vladimir Putin to pour money into the armed forces without worsening inflation for everyday people and avoiding a currency collapse. A new import ban was also imposed in an attempt to close a loophole allowing Russia to indirectly export crude oil via a number of non-EU countries. The EU also targeted the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Germany to prevent Putin from generating any revenue from them in future, notably by discouraging would-be investors. Russian energy giant Rosneft's refinery in India was hit as well. The pipelines were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany but are not in operation. On top of that, the new EU sanctions targeted Russia's banking sector, with the aim of limiting the Kremlin's ability to raise funds or carry out financial transactions. Two Chinese banks were added to the list. The EU has slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia since Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine in February 24, 2022. More than 2,400 officials and 'entities' — often government agencies, banks, companies or organizations — have been hit with asset freezes and travel bans. But each round of sanctions is getting harder to agree, as measures targeting Russia bite the economies of the 27 member nations. Slovakia held up the latest package over concerns about proposals to stop Russian gas supplies, which it relies on. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he had spoken to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico 'almost daily' in recent days to convince him to change his mind. 'But it took a very long time again — the processes are too sluggish,' he told reporters in Berlin. The last raft of EU sanctions, imposed on May 20, targeted almost 200 ships in Russia's sanction-busting shadow fleet of tankers. On Friday, 105 more ships were blocked from European ports, locks and from ship-to-ship transfers, bringing the total number of vessels now sanctioned to more than 400.
Al Bawaba
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Putin's next target after Ukraine exposed by spy ring bust
Published July 19th, 2025 - 11:39 GMT ALBAWABA - A major British newspaper, The Telegraph, has warned that after the war in Ukraine ends, Russian President Vladimir Putin could turn his attention to the UK as his next main target. This comes after British intelligence agencies said they knew about Russian spy networks in the UK. The study says that the Kremlin wants to stop the UK's armed support for Ukraine, cause more disagreements within the UK, and carry out acts of mischief and hacking to make things more expensive for London on the home front. Recent events, like a warehouse fire in London and an arson attack on a DHL center in Birmingham, may have something to do with Russian military intelligence agents, the story says. The Telegraph makes it clear that Moscow's main tool for political fighting is spying and spreading false information. Recently, six Bulgarians were found guilty of spying for Russian intelligence in the UK and across Europe. This case brings to mind that case. The newspaper also talked about at least six proven or attempted murders that have happened in the UK since Vladimir Putin took office. These crimes are thought to have been planned by Russia's GRU. — The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 19, 2025 The study says that Russia took advantage of the war in Gaza, which got worse in 2023, by using fake social media accounts to boost support for the Palestinians in the UK. It is said that the goal of this effort was to stir up public anger and change government choices. As threats from Russia and other unfriendly states have grown, British authorities have had to reorganize their intelligence resources. MI5 Director Ken McCallum has admitted that terrorist efforts have been slashed in order to focus on these new threats. The piece says that the UK needs to do more than just defend itself, even with these problems. The Telegraph says, "Defense alone is not enough—we must fight fire with fire," which means taking tougher steps against the Russian spy services that go beyond economic penalties. The report uses a comment from the UK Foreign Office to prove that Russia is still attacking but in secret. It suggests that Britain should change its policy to quietly counter Moscow's efforts to undermine the country. The paper sees this recognition as a good sign that people in Britain are starting to stand up to Russian invasion on their land. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Leaders
6 days ago
- Business
- Leaders
EU, UK Slam Russia with Fresh Sanctions
The European Union (EU) and the UK on Friday announced new sanctions on Russia, targeting its energy and banking sectors as well as military capabilities. The EU's 18th sanctions package aims to ramp up pressure against Russia over its more than three-year war on Ukraine. It comes as the US President, Donald Trump, has shown a shift in his stance on Moscow, threatening Russia's leader of sweeping sanctions if he did not accept a ceasefire agreement. EU Sanctions Package The EU and UK jointly announced new measures targeting Russia's oil revenues. These include reducing the Crude Oil Price Cap from $60 barrel to $47.60, which will drive down the market value of Russian oil, disrupting the flow of oil money into Moscow. The EU also imposed a port access ban on additional 105 vessels and full-fledged sanctions on companies managing or dealing with them, targeting Russia's shadow fleet that circumvents Western sanctions. Moreover, EU introduced an import ban on refined petroleum products made from Russian crude oil and coming from any third country, except Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and the US. The bloc also imposed a full transaction ban on Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines between Russia and Germany. Furthermore, the measures targeted Russia's banking sector, including two Chinese banks. It also hit Moscow's military industry, including tighter export restrictions on 26 entities over dual-use goods and technologies. Strong Message On this occasion, the EU Foreign Policy Chief, Kaja Kallas, said: 'The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date. Each sanction weakens Russia's ability to wage war.' She underscored Europe's commitment to supporting Ukraine. 'The message is clear: Europe will not back down in its support for Ukraine. The EU will keep raising the pressure until Russia ends its war,' Kallas added. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said: 'As Putin continues to stall on serious peace talks, we will not stand by. That's why we're striking at the heart of the Russian energy sector alongside the EU.' He added that Britain will continue to increase pressure on Russia to stop its war in Ukraine. 'Together we will continue to apply relentless pressure on Putin, squeezing his critical oil industry and cutting off funding for his illegal war in Ukraine,' he noted. UK Sanctions Separately, the UK announced sanctions on 3 units of Russia's military intelligence service, GRU, and 18 military intelligence officers for spreading chaos and disorder upon orders from the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Their actions involved the bombing of the Mariupol Theatre, the targeting of Yulia Skripal, and cyber operations targeting the UK and others. 'GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilize Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens,' Lammy said. 'Putin's hybrid threats and aggression will never break our resolve. The UK and our Allies support for Ukraine and Europe's security is ironclad,' he added. Russian Rejection In response to the newly announced sanctions, Moscow said it opposes such 'illegal' measures, according to the Associated Press (AP). Speaking to reporters in a conference call, the Kremlin Spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said: 'We consider such unilateral restrictions unlawful.' But he added that Russia has adapted to living under sanctions. 'At the same time, of course, we have already acquired a certain immunity from sanctions. We have adapted to life under sanctions. We will need to analyze the new package in order to minimize negative consequences from it,' Peskov said. Trump's Threats The European measures come as Trump on Monday threatened Russian energy buyers of massive '100% secondary tariffs' if Russia does not end its war on Ukraine within 50 days. This marked a dramatic shift from his previous position. Trump also confirmed that the US would send the much-needed Patriot air defense systems and other weapons to Ukraine via NATO countries, to help Kyiv in fending off Russian aerial attacks, amid his growing frustration with Putin. Short link : Post Views: 7
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Putin's spies have infiltrated every section of British society
The Foreign Office's exposure and sanctioning of Russian individuals and organisations working against the UK demonstrates that we are a prime focus for Putin's political warfare, which is the use of all means other than armed conflict to achieve the state's objectives. Russia's targets are worldwide, but it is obvious that Britain is a priority given our leading role in supporting Ukraine. Indeed, some have suggested that the UK is the number one target behind Ukraine, even above the US, as Putin still hopes to lure Trump away from giving his full backing to Kyiv. Russian objectives include directly disrupting military aid to Ukraine as well as sowing division at home and inflicting greater costs on us through sabotage and cyber warfare. There have been repeated attacks in Britain and across Europe against infrastructure and transport hubs involved in shipping aid to Ukraine. A warehouse fire in London and an incendiary attack against a DHL hub in Birmingham are both likely to be the work of agents of the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service. Cyber attacks have targeted media outlets, telecoms providers, political institutions, government bodies and energy infrastructure in the UK. The Ministry of Defence has repelled 90,000 cyber attacks from hostile states in the last two years. Many originated in Russia, usually via proxies. Espionage and disinformation are also critical elements of Russian political warfare. Earlier this year a group of six Bulgarians living in the UK was convicted of spying across Europe on behalf of Russia, and Moscow devotes immense resources into bot farms attempting to inject its anti-Ukraine narrative into social media sites. Beyond sabotage, cyberwar and disinformation, Moscow's political warfare operations include direct threats to life. Since Putin came to power there have been at least six assassinations or attempted assassinations in the UK that were likely the work of the GRU. Three of the GRU units the Foreign Office has sanctioned have been implicated in the failed murder of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018. The cyber components of two of these units were involved in targeting Skripal and then sought to disrupt UK and international investigations into the events. The third unit, known as 26165, was directly responsible for the attempt on Skripal's life. The same unit, in March 2022, conducted online reconnaissance on civilian shelters in Mariupol and Kharkiv, lining up artillery strikes which killed non-combatants sheltering there. Despite its current emphasis on undermining Ukraine and its allies, Russia's political warfare campaign goes much further, encompassing all areas of its national interests, including economic development, fostering allies and destabilising the West. A few years ago the head of Nato confirmed Russia had infiltrated environmental movements in Europe to maintain dependence on imported Russian gas. Since the start of the Gaza conflict in 2023, Russia has used armies of fake social media profiles to disproportionately amplify Pro-Palestinian voices in the UK to promote public discord and influence government decision-making. 'The Kremlin should be in no doubt,' according to David Lammy, 'we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won't tolerate it. That's why we're taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies'. He is right to impose these sanctions, but even assuming many of our allies follow suit, they will have little impact. Nor will the detailed exposure of Moscow's political warfare apparatus and some of its key players deter them. On the contrary, their activity will increase and become more sophisticated, especially with the development of artificial intelligence. In this situation, we need to constantly improve our defences, both in cyber security and intelligence. There are opportunity costs to that though. A few months ago the head of MI5, Ken McCallum, admitted he had been forced to 'pare back' on counterterrorism to deal with the growing threat posed by Russia and other hostile states. And don't for one moment think that Putin is not exploiting the waves of small boat Channel crossings that are filling our country with people we know nothing about. But defence is not enough: we must also fight fire with fire. The GRU, as well as the other Kremlin organs involved in attacking us have to be made to pay a price well beyond this sanctions regime. That means our own offensive political warfare campaign against Russia. Here, the Foreign Office sounds a hopeful note, claiming to be countering Russian attacks both publicly and 'behind the scenes'. But do we have the capability, the legal freedom and the political will to inflict the damage that is required?
