The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) spread an announcement that it worked with a Russian national who complained of having been recruited by MI6 (Britain's Secret Intelligence Service). “The person, whose name is not disclosed, told that he had been recruited in London by staffers of British secret services.” - said a FSB spokesman. According to him, the man mentioned names of the intelligence officers, described in detail in what countries of Europe, cities and hotels secret meetings had been appointed and what tasks had been set.
The spokesman being a true secret service man did not say anything definite but claimed that the man has decided to come to the FSB reception office of his own free will being under apprehension of his life. It happened several days after the press-conference of businessman Andrei Lugovoi. According to the man, just after the press-conference intelligence officers of MI6 connected with him and demanded an immediate meeting in a city of Europe.
Besides that, the man said that Russian tycoon in disgrace Boris Berezovsky has called him several times, offering to meet in Israel and demanding his immediate meeting with Britain intelligence officers.
The British Embassy in Moscow refused to make any comments concerning the FSB announcement. As the Reuters agency was told, the British government does not comment statements about espionage or intelligence activity.
Earlier the FSB's Investigative Directorate opened a criminal case due to evidence of espionage after analysis of statements by Andrei Lugovoi, who declared that Berezovsky and the late Alexander Litvinenko had collaborated with British Intelligence Service and tried to recruit him.
It should be reminded, that businessman, former intelligence officer Andrei Lugovoi came out with the denunciations after the British prosecutors had asked Russia to hand him over to face charges over the death of Litvinenko. So, the growing spy confrontation is a Moscow’s responce on the London’s charges.
FSB Director Nikolai Patrushev told reporters that a criminal investigation would likely be opened but at the moment one should not give such publicity to the information. “First we must investigate this thoroughly and then the information will be of course brought down, We dont’t intend to keep it back”, - he said.
Recently it is not the first British-Russian spy case being much talked of. In January 2006 a Russian state TV channel showed a film about British “spy stone” in Moscow. The scandal concerned to be fomented not without purpose. First of all it touched Russian non-commercial organisations, as a person, accused of collaboration with the British intelligent services, supposedly delivered money the Moscow Helsinki Group. European mass-media supposed that the scandal was fanned to prove expediency of a law on non-commercial organisations, that was rebuked sharply by West and Russian human rights organisations.