London. A Ukrainian intelligence officer has been jailed for life in a significant blow to the Kremlin's espionage network. The officer, a double agent working for MI6, was exposed and convicted in a Moscow court. Sources say the damage to Russian operations is severe.
The man, who cannot be named for security reasons, was a high-ranking asset inside Ukrainian military intelligence. He passed secrets to the UK for years. The trial was held in secret, but the sentence confirms the fears of Western intelligence: Putin's net is tightening.
This is a big win for the FSB. They have been hunting moles for months. The conviction suggests they are getting better at spotting our people. A former MI6 officer told me: "This hurts. He was one of our best."
The implications for the war in Ukraine are serious. Losing a source inside Kyiv's intelligence apparatus gives Russia a tactical advantage. They can now predict Ukrainian moves. Expect more setbacks for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Whitehall is rattled. The PM's office issued a terse statement: "We cannot comment on intelligence matters." But backbenchers are angry. They want to know how this happened. Joint Intelligence Committee sources say a full review is underway.
The opposition is circling. A shadow defence secretary briefed reporters that the government has "lost control of the intelligence war." That is an exaggeration, but the optics are bad.
The game is shifting. Putin knows he is losing on the battlefield. So he is fighting in the shadows. And right now, he is winning. This life sentence will send a chill through the intelligence community. Traitors will think twice. Recruits will be harder to find.
Eleanor Rigby, Political Bureau Chief.
