on Tuesday, 21 July, the parliamentary Committee for intelligence and security of the United Kingdom presented a 55-page “report on the Russian intervention”, on which work lasted approximately a year and a half. The paper reported about the threats Russia allegedly poses to the UK, and that was taken to deal with them.
a Key reason for the creation of the report were the accusations of Russia’s interference in last year’s parliamentary elections in the UK, which the Kremlin called false.
the scandal surrounding the report is more political in nature – because of the publication of this report was delayed for months, almost a year.
it was Expected that the document will be published in November of last year, then the government delayed publication for a month, but here in the UK held parliamentary elections. The opposition suspected Boris Johnson that he contributed to the delay in the publication of the report in their electoral purposes. But even after the conservatives secured a majority, with the publication of the report were in no hurry.
the Document is based on secret intelligence material from the British intelligence services and on data of independent experts. The authors accuse the Russian side in large-scale espionage and subversive activities against the United Kingdom and its allies.
“the UK is one of the main goals of Russian intelligence in the West, especially given the strong position of the UK in relation to recent Russian aggression and the international response to the attack in Salisbury in 2018, as stated in the report. – Russian security services disproportionately large and powerful and, given the lack of rule of law, can act without limitation”.
According to the authors of the report, the merger of government, business, and “serious and organised crime” provides extra weight in the establishment in Russia of comprehensive security threats, which “fueled by paranoia towards the West and a desire to be considered as a resurgent great power.”
moreover, Russia is perceived by the authors of the report as “highly capable cyber actor” that represents a threat to the national security of the United Kingdom.
“Russia carries out malicious cyberdeterrence to aggressively assert themselves, for example, trying to interfere in elections in other countries, – stated in the report. – She also carries out pre-positioning in cyberspace of critical national infrastructure of other countries.”
in addition, the document widespread allegations that Russia sought to influence voters during a referendum in 2016 on the British exit from the EU through their media. In doing so, the report’s authors argue that it is virtually impossible to prove.
Recall that a referendum on Brexit took place in June 2016. Then for the country’s withdrawal from the European Union voted 52% of Britons, and to stay up – 48%.
as an example of the desire of the Kremlin to intervene in the internal Affairs of the Kingdom are allegations of attempts to influence the referendum on Scottish independence in 2014.
the report also stated that the United Kingdom has become home to a number of critics of the current Russian regime, who sought refuge, “the fear of politically motivated accusations and prosecutions”. And poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia, which occurred March 4, 2018 in the city of Salisbury, “demonstrated the vulnerability of former Russian spies who settled in the country.”
the Authors reported that one of the questions on this topic is discussed in detail in the secret Appendix to the report.
“for some time, it is clear that Russia under Putin has gone from a potential partner by a given threat, fundamentally unwilling to adhere to international law, the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 and Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 – bright examples – the report says. – So we wonder, did the government view this problem because of its focus on terrorism: in the opinion of the Committee, until recently the government has greatly underestimated the response needed for Russian threats, so still playing catch-up”.
the Parliamentary intelligence Committee said that Russia poses challenges in the areas of exploration, so the British security services must have special tools to solve it. In particular, stressed the need for the introduction of new legislation to combat foreign spies, as the Law on state secrets, according to the authors of the report, is not suitable for this purpose.
“In a broader sense we need a standing international consensus against the aggressive actions of Russia – continue to representatives of the British intelligence Committee. – The West is stronger when it acts collectively, as the UK has shown that it can lead the international response.”
it is Expected that some part of the British parliamentary report can be subsequently edited or censored. Moreover, there is also a secret version of the document, which will be available only to officials.
