Vladimir Putin has 1,000 spies in Britain hiding behind normal jobs: Report
Russia-Ukraine War: Russia had created “extensive and sophisticated networks” of moles operating in “all walks of life”, the report said.
Russia has around 1,000 secret agents in Britain, it has emerged. The spies are hiding behind normal jobs from minicab drivers and baristas to university boffins, intelligence analysis found, as reported by The Mirror. The spies are handled by SVR and have even infiltrated high levels of government, the report said.

Read more: Video| What Russia stole from Kherson: A raccoon, a donkey, and a Llama
Russia had created “extensive and sophisticated networks” of moles operating in “all walks of life”, the report said.
“No one should think they are immune. I’m talking about students, trade unions, protest groups, teachers, Uber drivers as well as politicians, the civil service and the police," the report further added.
However, the report said the number of spies working out of the Russian embassy in London has fallen in recent years but “unknowns” have surged.
Vladimir Putin’s agents have also spied on nuclear power stations and army, RAF and Royal Navy bases, including Faslane in Scotland, where Britain’s nuclear subs are based, the report said.
Read more: New Zealand to train more Ukrainian troops, extends intelligence support
“The numbers involved with spying could easily be over 1,000. They use all of the old skills, compromising people, infiltrating organisations and recruiting spies. The threat is extensive," the report said.
The report comes at a time when Russia has retreated from the key city of Kherson in Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian soldiers of committing war crimes and killing civilians in the city.
"Investigators have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes. Bodies of dead civilians and servicemen have been found," Volodymyr Zelensky said.