Overview
- The i Paper reports that two suspected Russian operatives entered the UK in spring and summer 2025 via Torquay, Middlesbrough and Grangemouth before visiting areas near a Dorset training range and critical fuel infrastructure.
- Defence Secretary John Healey described the incidents as potential espionage, and MPs from multiple parties demanded tighter port security and stronger screening at docks.
- Counter-terror police received a local report of a man flying drones and fixing a small device near Lulworth Firing Range at the time one suspect was said to be in the area, according to The i.
- The vessels used were not Russian-flagged or on shadow-fleet lists, and shipping data indicates their crews were sourced through firms known to hire Russian seafarers.
- A senior NATO official and security analysts say ordinary cargo ships are being used to move operatives across Europe, taking advantage of lighter checks at secondary ports.