MI6 chief appeals for Russians to join as spies to end war in Ukraine
Head of MI6 appeals for Russians to join them as spies if they want to end the war in Ukraine
- Sir Richard Moore gave his second public speech in Prague on Wednesday
The head of MI6 today appealed for Russians appalled by the war in Ukraine to defect and ‘join hands’ with his intelligence service to bring the bloodshed to an end.
Sir Richard Moore said there appeared to be little prospect of Russia regaining momentum in Ukraine, as Russia struggles to manage growing domestic dissent.
Speaking at the British embassy in Prague, his second speech since taking the role in 2020, he compared the situation to the Prague Spring, in which the USSR clamped down on liberalising reforms.
He said: ‘As they witness the venality, infighting and callous incompetence of their leaders – the human factor at its worst – many Russians are wrestling with the same dilemmas as their predecessors did in 1968.
‘I invite them to do what others have done this past 18 months and join hands with us. Our door is always open… Their secrets will be safe with us and together we will work to bring the bloodshed to an end.’
Richard Moore gives his first public speech as head of MI6 at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, November 30 2021. On Wednesday he gave his second public speech in Prague, urging Russians to come and work for the intelligence service as spies
Russia faced a mutiny from Wagner Group mercenaries last month and growing dissent. Pictured: smoke and flames rise from an explosion at a training ground in Crimea, July 19
In the speech, he also described Iran’s decision to supply Moscow with suicide drones for the Ukraine conflict as ‘unconscionable’ and it had provoked internal quarrels at the highest level of the regime in Tehran.
Russia and Iran have found mutual interests through the invasion of Ukraine, and US defence officials warn they are now working together to force allies out of Syria.
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An anonymous official warns that there is now a ‘qualitative difference’ due to the greater collaboration between the countries.
Sir Moore also warned on Wednesday that China and Russia were racing to master technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.
He returned to the subject saying AI would complement the work of intelligence agencies – and not replace humans who could uncover secrets beyond technology’s reach.
He urged that AI will emphasise the importance of spy missions in uncovering secrets machines cannot reach.
The chief of the Secret Intelligence Service predicts that AI will put a premium on organisations such as MI6, whose agents can be tasked to uncover plots and conspiracies, infiltrate a terrorist group or influence decisions inside a government, to answer questions in a way no computer can.
AI has long been used by spy agencies to assist their missions.
In 2021, GCHQ announced that it intended to use the technology to tackle issues ranging from child sexual abuse to disinformation and human trafficking.
In a paper entitled Ethics of AI: Pioneering a New National Security, the intelligence agency said that AI can help analysts spot fake online messages used by other states spreading disinformation.
It may also assist in mapping international networks engaged in human or drug trafficking, and can find child sex abusers hiding their identities online.
But GCHQ warned that the technology cannot predict human behaviour such as an extremist moving towards executing a terrorist attack.
Ukrainian soldiers take part in a military training in southern Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 18
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the Saratov region governor at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 18, 2023
Support within Russia for Putin’s devastating invasion of Ukraine has been hard to measure.
Polls conducted by the Khroniki project suggest support remains higher in regions closer to the front. The national average remains as high as 60 per cent.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explains the trend, writing: ‘The obvious explanation is the psychology of the civilian population during a conflict: to back the side that appears stronger and is nearby.
READ MORE: Daily Mail reporters come under fire from Russian artillery in Ukraine
‘In addition, the more victims of shelling, the stronger the previously absent feeling of hatred for the ‘enemy,’ i.e., the Ukrainian armed forces.’
Russia has also managed a significant public awareness campaign about ‘threats from across the border’.
Surveys by three independent polling groups, shared by the Wilson Center, shows support for the war in Russia rise in spring 2022, fall as the invaders made less ground in the summer and autumn, and then rise again slightly in early 2023.
The Wilson Center noted limitations to the polls, as every third respondent said they were afraid to talk about their attitude towards the actions of the country’s leadership.
They observed that Russian loyalists were also more likely to agree to be surveyed than regime opponents.
Last March, Russia introduced new laws making factual war reporting and anti-war protests punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The government detains individuals who publicly oppose the war and has censored online sources providing ‘unbiased’ information, according to the US embassy in Georgia.
Ukrainian soldiers of the 4th Brigade take part in a military training in southern Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 18, 2023
A soldier embraces his beloved after receiving roses at the Kramatorsk train station amid Russia-Ukraine war, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine on July 18, 2023
Russian State Duma Deputy Vasily Piskarev stated on July 18 that he and several other deputies had submitted a bill for consideration to the Duma on ‘liability for propaganda and justification of the ideology of extremism’.
If passed, the bill would introduce a 300,000 ruble fine (£2,546.29) and up to five years in prison for breaches.
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