Russian spies infiltrate UK on cargo ships to scout military sites, find weaknesses

Two suspected Russian spies are believed to person secretly entered the UK connected cargo ships earlier traveling to locations adjacent to cardinal subject bases and captious authorities infrastructure, according to reports.

The one Paper claimed the 2 men arrived successful the UK during the outpouring and summertime of 2025, utilizing ports astatine Torquay, Middlesbrough and Grangemouth, successful the north-east.

A UK defence root besides suggested the men were linked to President Vladimir Putin’s subject and quality networks.

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Two suspected Russian spies entered the UK via cargo ships done Torquay, Middlesbrough and Grangemouth ports earlier visiting areas adjacent subject bases. (PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images))

The brace are alleged to person accessed the state covertly by exploiting commercialized shipping routes alternatively than passing done heavy monitored borderline introduction points.

The ships they utilized were reportedly neither Russian-flagged nor portion of the sanctioned shadiness fleet associated with the Kremlin, making them acold little apt to pull scrutiny.

A elder NATO authoritative liable for protecting Europe’s maritime waters told the outlet that quality agencies had detected Russian operatives traveling connected non-suspicious cargo vessels.

The authoritative said those benignant of ships connection an perfect mode of moving unit discreetly.

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Putin is investigating the boundaries of NATO with craft incursions, allied states say. (Ramil Sitdikov/Pool/Reuters )

"It would beryllium the astir earthy spot to determination radical astir successful that world, and we deliberation it’s going on," the root said.

"They are not sailing connected shadiness fleet tankers, they are sailing connected each [types of] ships," the root claimed, adding that Russian agents had monitored and "tested European ports to find weaknesses."

One of the suspected operatives is reported to person entered the UK done Torquay successful the South West aft traveling from Finland. 

The second, antecedently seen successful Moscow astatine an intelligence-linked facility, was suspected of traveling from Kaliningrad and entering via Middlesbrough and Grangemouth.

After spending clip astir the retention installation astatine Grangemouth, the 2nd operative besides traveled to Falkirk, wherever they visited a retail park.

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Suspected Russian operatives entered the UK done ports adjacent limb facilities to trial information weaknesses. (John Keeble/Getty Images)

Both British docks were precocious projected by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) arsenic imaginable sites for aboriginal UK weapons factories. 

They are presently unused brownfield locations, expanding concerns implicit the information implications of the alleged visits.

Elisabeth Braw of the Intelligence Council and elder chap astatine the Atlantic Council told the one Paper that it makes consciousness for Russian quality to exploit these weaknesses.

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"It doesn’t astonishment maine that Russia wants to bring definite radical into the state adjacent though they tin scope radical who are already there," she said.

"They request their ain operatives to behaviour this benignant of activity," Braw added.