Vladimir Putin’s head of Russian counterintelligence, Alexander Bortnikov, has expressed concerns about the presence of real-life James Bond-like operatives and SAS sabotage teams. The 73-year-old FSB official believes that British influence is behind various threats faced by Russia. Bortnikov stated that the UK, along with the EU, is orchestrating actions to strategically weaken Russia and potentially overthrow Putin.
According to Bortnikov, the FSB has evidence of British intelligence agencies supporting terrorist activities and sabotage within Russian borders. He mentioned plans involving Ukrainian groups carrying out attacks on critical infrastructure under British supervision. The SAS, under MI6 leadership, is allegedly involved in combat operations against Russia.
Bortnikov also blamed Britain for the lack of a peace agreement in Ukraine, portraying the UK government as a significant threat to the Kremlin. Despite other attributions of tensions to Putin’s military actions, Bortnikov insisted that British provocations and misinformation are disrupting efforts to settle the Ukrainian conflict. He highlighted an alleged involvement of British intelligence in a recent Ukrainian operation targeting Russian aircraft.
In a defensive stance, Bortnikov emphasized a perception of NATO countries, particularly British intelligence, as driving instability globally. He criticized Britain for fueling fear of an Eastern threat and highlighted his own career background within the intelligence community.
Bortnikov, a long-serving figure in Russian intelligence, has been leading the FSB since 2008 and is a close associate of Putin since their early years in the KGB.