GRU Scotski' Ops Instil Fears Among British Intelligence Circles

GCHQ base in Scarborough and stretch to Glasgow/ Shutterstock UK spies are being relocated to a secluded place due to Russia's 'Scot...

GCHQ base in Scarborough and stretch to Glasgow/ Shutterstock

UK spies are being relocated to a secluded place due to Russia's 'Scotski' ops. At least a hundred spies and their equipment has been hauled from London to an isolated area in Scotland in a move aimed at targeting growing threats of Russia and China in the Union domain, the Intel sources said. The most fear of particular concern is the so-called “Scotski Ops “ by Russia to glean more information about the Faslane Nuclear Base and support the Scottish Independence cause.

The Clyde (HMNB) Naval base, which primarily sited at Faslane on the Gare Loch, is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy. It is best known as the home of Britain's nuclear weapons, in the form of nuclear submarines armed with Trident missiles.

Faslane was first constructed and used as a base in the Second World War. During the 1960s, the British Government began negotiating the Polaris Sales Agreement with the United States regarding the purchase of a Polaris missile system to fire British-built nuclear weapons from five specially constructed submarines. 

HMS Victorious’s role is to carry a strategic nuclear deterrent. / British Royal Navy

Faslane itself was chosen to host the highly classified naval weaponry at the height of the Cold War because of its geographic position, which forms a natural bastion on the relatively secluded but deep and easily navigable Gare Loch and Firth of Clyde on the west coast of Scotland. This position provides for rapid and stealthy access through the North Channel to the submarine patrolling areas in the North Atlantic, through the GIUK gap to the Norwegian Sea. 

At the time it was chosen, the location was also close to the American SSBN base at Holy Loch, which operated from 1961–1992. In 1971 the base was home to the 3rd Submarine Squadron of Nuclear Fleet and Diesel Patrol Submarines, "the fighters", and the 10th Submarine Squadron consisting of the four Polaris submarines, "the bombers".

The Government has already announced plans to re-base 1,500 civil servants to Glasgow as part of a pledge to “level up” job opportunities across Britain and strengthen the union. However, the shifting of personnel to East Kilbride, among them will be intelligence officers of the British foreign intelligence service, commonly referred to as MI6.

The revelation follows the publication of the state review, which described Russia as a “the most acute threat to our society” and China as “the biggest state threat” One major development is the creation of a new National Cyber Force HQ intended to transform the UK's capacity to conduct targeted offensive cyber operations against terrorists, hostile states and criminal gangs. Based in the north of England, it will form the hub of a “cyber corridor” which will include a new National Cyber Security Centre outpost in Manchester, a GCHQ base in Scarborough and stretch to Glasgow.

Specialists from Porton Down will work with cyber experts (Image: Getty)

The 100-page report, called Global Britain in a Competitive Age, revealed that the NCF would draw together not only GCHQ and military cyber experts but also specialists from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Porton Down and officers attached to the Secret Intelligence Service ’under one unified command for the first time.’ The move will also include the formalisation of an exchange programme with Australian and New Zealand intelligence agencies which will see one officer from the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and one from New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service based at specially built premises. This, sources say, is designed to support the Government’s “Indo-Pacific tilt”.

One of the immediate concerns, however, is the suspicion of Russian intelligence presence in Scotland. According to the Integrated Review report that announced the lifting of the cap on nuclear warheads from 180 to 260, expected to further interest Russian interest in HM Naval Base Clyde, commonly referred to as Faslane, where Britain’s nuclear deterrent-carrying submarines are located.

“The decision to relocate members of the SIS to Scotland makes complete sense,” said Dr Danny Steed, research fellow in Cyber and Intelligence at the Henry Jackson Society think tank.

“There is a long historical precedent to Russians trying to have assets in Scotland because that’s where the nuclear deterrent is based. Faslane  is just 50 miles north-west of Glasgow and is at the top of the list in terms of intelligence targets for Russia.” He said Russia was actively using assets in Scotland for human intelligence operations, but that many approaches began on social media networks.

“Russia’s security services love Linkedin, for instance - in the 21st century it’s the path of least resistance when it comes to identifying and securing assets. Russian intelligence officers will shortlist possibilities and likely prospects, people who are based in and around Glasgow and work in one of the hi-tech industries or even universities. They even leverage students.

“Those operations are coupled with people already on the ground who then try to recruit and run assets, possibly using traditional techniques like blackmail. “This is all one something MI6 will be focussing on.” But Russia expert Dr Jade McGlynn, also at HJS, said Sottish nationalism has become equally important to the Kremlin.

Earlier this month Twitter banned 25 accounts that were believed connected to the Kremlin and Iran that oftentimes tweeting or retweeted pro-independence or other Scottish messaging. “The main threat from Russia is not because our nuclear deterrent is less important, but before we defend it better,” said Dr McGlynn.

“We know that Russia is developing influence and disinformation operations that will add to the polarisation that exists. “And they're using parallel techniques. One of the things that we see is that the troll factories and bots are still operating at full capacity but we also see the use of cultural institutions."

“Scotski" activity is widely recognised to have increased since the anti-Tory social democrat SNP took power ten years ago. Examples include the establishment of “Russkii Mir” cultural centres to challenge Western views and promote Russia’s position on global issues.

Between 2010 and late 2017, Edinburgh University’s Russian study centre received £253,939 in Russian state funds. Glasgow University also received funds from Rossotrudnichestvo, the Kremlin’s cultural relations arm. In 2016 Russian news agency Sputnik, which is sympathetic to the Scottish indolence cause, set up its new headquarters in Edinburgh.

“Russia wants to exploit division in order to weaken the UK. “We know Russia uses a range of weapons within its hybrid warfare arsenal to exploit divisions, add to divisions or create new ones," added Dr McGlynn. “Its aim is simple: to make the UK weaker and reduce its ability to stand up to Moscow with its allies.”