Half of Russian spies in Europe expelled since Ukraine invasion, says MI6 chief

MI6’s Richard Moore said he believed the war in Ukraine was ‘a winnable campaign’ for Kyiv. Photograph: Matt Dunham/AP

Half of all the Russian spies operating under diplomatic cover around Europe have been expelled since the start of the war in Ukraine, the chief of MI6 has told a US security conference.

Richard Moore, who heads British foreign intelligence, said the expulsions of about 400 Russian diplomats from countries in continental Europe, including France and Germany, had dramatically reduced the Kremlin’s espionage capabilities.