Russian TV alleges UK espionage

[cal04]

Russian state television has broadcast video footage of what it claims are British diplomats spying in Moscow.
In the programme, people claiming to be Russian intelligence officers say British agents planted a transmitter in an imitation rock on a Moscow street. The officers say British embassy officials then walked past downloading data from the "rock's" transmitter. The UK Foreign Office said it was "concerned and surprised" at the claims and denied any improper conduct.

Carried away
The programme said four officials from the British embassy and one Russian citizen, allegedly recruited by the British secret service, downloading classified data from the rock's transmitter onto palm-top computers. According to the programme, the Russian citizen was later arrested.

Hidden camera footage appears to show individuals walking up to the rock. One man is caught on camera carrying it away. When contacted by the BBC, Russia's internal security service, the FSB, refused to comment but the programme contained a number of interviews with officials claiming to be from the FSB confirming the story.

The programme also alleged that one of the embassy officials involved had been authorising regular payments to Russian non-governmental organisations. The UK Foreign Office statement said: "We are concerned and surprised at these allegations. We reject any allegation of improper conduct in our dealing with Russian NGOs." It said it was well known that the British government had given financial support to projects implemented by Russian NGOs in the field of human rights and civil society. "All our assistance is given openly and aims to support the development of a healthy civil society in Russia," the statement said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4638136.stm

[Judi Lynn]

1. Russia accuses British diplomats of spying

Russia accuses British diplomats of spying
Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:38 AM ET

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's intelligence services accused British embassy officials on Monday of spying in Moscow after state television said diplomats had used a transmitter in a fake rock to secure state secrets.

"Yes. I can confirm that everything that was shown was true and based on our information," a spokesman for FSB intelligence told Reuters.

"The diplomats were shown to be involved in activities that were incompatible with their diplomatic status," he said, using diplomatic jargon to refer to spying.

Russian state television on Sunday broadcast video footage of what it said were British diplomats spying through a transmitter in an imitation rock on a Moscow street and then downloading classified information from it.
(snip/...)

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-23T093756Z_01_L23526040_RTRUKOC_0_US-RUSSIA-SPIES.xml

[emad]

2. UK diplomats in Moscow spying row

Russian TV also showed what it said was the spy rock


Russia's state security service, the FSB, has accused British diplomats of spying in Moscow.

It backed claims made in a Russian TV report which showed footage of what it said was British agents retrieving data from a fake rock planted on a street.

The programme also said a UK diplomat made regular payments to Russian non-governmental organisations.

The UK Foreign Office said it was "concerned and surprised", and denied any improper conduct with Russian NGOs.

edit:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4638136.stm

[hwmnbn]

3. Oops, they got caught......

The UK Foreign Office said it was "concerned and surprised", and denied any improper conduct with Russian NGOs.

There's nothing improper.....that's what spies do!!

[Henny Penny]

4. "And they would've gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for

those pesky kids!" is doubtless what Jack Straw would like to have said.

Just watched the clip on the beeb, absolutely hilarious!

Though doubtless, whatever is behind it all is not.

[emad]

5. Moscow names British 'spies' in NGO row: Guardian

Moscow names British 'spies' in NGO row

· TV alleges transmitter was hidden in stone block
· Embassy staff accused of funding Russian groups

Nick Paton Walsh in Moscow
Monday January 23, 2006
The Guardian


The Russian security service, the FSB, last night named as spies four employees of the British embassy in Moscow, showing them on state television allegedly collecting intelligence using hi-tech gadgets and funding non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

It marks the Putin administration's most bold attempt to expose western intelligence work in Russia. The FSB caught the unit late last year, a documentary on state-run Rossiya TV reported. An FSB spokesman confirmed to the Guardian that his agency had accused the four men of being spies. "They have not been arrested. How could we? They are all diplomats." He declined to say what information they had tried to acquire. "They used hi-tech, new gadgets to communicate with agents, with citizens of another country who gather intelligence."

According to a report of the programme from the state RIA Novosti agency, two men, aged 30 and 32, were named as spies. A third diplomat named as a spy was an aide to MI6's Moscow desk officer, the only MI6 agent officially declared to the FSB, and a fourth had a role in funding Foreign Office projects.

The programme focused upon an alleged secret transmitter hidden in a square in central Moscow. The FSB officer said: "At first we thought it was a classic drop point - a container camouflaged with a stone. Then ... it became clear there was an electronic device inside it." They said the stone contained a battery and a device to transmit and receive. It had been fastened into the walls using wooden screws and sealed to make it watertight.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,1692867,00.html

[davidinalameda]

6. is anyone else scared because of this story

it really sounds like the old Russia is really rearing it's ugly head

and I'm afraid that the Bushies will be getting into bed with them as well

[TheLastMohican]

9. Yeah, ugly head all right

So it is okay to spy in Russia unrelentlessly? Sounds like Russia has every right to kick their arses out.

[LisaL]

12. Spying is a serious business. I don't know of any country that

would have been fine with that.

[davidinalameda]

13. my point is that Russia is accusing the Brits of working with NGOs

that are pushing for human rights and issues along those lines

I don't believe the charges

it seems like the Russian government is trying to silence its critics

[Henny Penny]

14. That is certainly the UK govt.'s position... that doesn't mean it

is the only interpretation!

I'm sure the Russians will claim that those operatives were trying to destabilize Russia, or some of her satellites...

Looks like the cold war is hotting up... and yes, that is a little scary.

[emad]

7. This may be a counter-intelligence story linked to British spying on

UK-resident dodgy oligarchs like Roman Abramovich - recipient of Poodle's unlimited social largesse and public acceptance as a favor to "Man Vlad" Sputum. And Boris Berezhovsky.

Had to laugh when UK TV showed the graphics of that rock-bug detector. Pure Austin Powers stuff.

[Odin2005]

8. A transmitter in a plastic rock, clever!

:evilgrin:

[cal04]

10. Russia backs a TV report

Russia backs a TV report allegedly showing footage of UK diplomats using a fake rock to spy in Moscow.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4638136.stm

[toopers]

11. I think it would be a real news story. . .

if they were not spying on each other!

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

15. Just because it annoys me that the UK press are willingly

censoring names that were broadcast on the documentary and are readily appear elsewhere, the guys are Marc Doe (a First Secretary), researcher Andre Fleming and embassy employees Christopher Pirt and Paul Cronton.