The U.K. intelligence agency announced on Sept. 19 that it is launching a dark web portal to reach potential spies in Russia and other rival countries.

The so-called Silent Courier will allow informants to share sensitive information with the U.K.'s Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6.

Richard Moore, the outgoing MI6 chief, unveiled the system during a speech in Istanbul on Sept. 19, stressing it is designed primarily for potential agents in Russia.

Western intelligence services have been raising alarm over surging Russian espionage and sabotage activities across Europe since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Earlier this week, three people were detained in the U.K. on suspicion of spying for Moscow.

Lithuania, the U.K.'s NATO ally, also recently accused Russia’s military intelligence of orchestrating deliveries of explosive parcels in Europe last year, one of which detonated in a warehouse in Birmingham on July 22, 2024.

During his speech, Moore warned that he sees “no evidence” that Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in negotiated peace in Ukraine except for full capitulation.

The statement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump, whose months-long push to broker peace in Ukraine yielded little result, voiced his frustration with Putin’s refusal to end the war.

The British intelligence agency said it is using the dark web for the first time to minimize risks for the spies.

MI6 shared instructions on how to use the platform on YouTube in several languages, including Russian. Potential spies were advised to download the Tor browser and use a virtual private network (VPN).

Read also: Russian Iskanders in Kaliningrad — should NATO be worried?

From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed