British intelligence calls on Russians to become spies for London

British foreign intelligence chief on Wednesday called on Russians “appalled” by their country’s invasion of Ukraine, to join his services in London, in a rare public appeal for new operatives.

In a speech in Prague, Richard Moore, head of MI6, said that “many Russians today are silently appalled at the sight of their armed forces bombarding Ukrainian towns, driving innocent families from their homes and kidnapping hundreds of children”.

“While witnessing the venality, infighting and outright incompetence of their rulers, many Russians face the same dilemmas and pangs of conscience as their predecessors did in 1968,” when Moscow was intervened to crush the Prague Spring.

“I invite them (these Russians) to do what others have already done for the past 18 months and to join us,” he said.

“Our door is always open,” he added, assuring that the recruitment of spies would be handled “with discretion and professionalism”.