After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European countries expelled about 400 Russian intelligence agents operating under diplomatic cover.
MI6 head of British intelligence Richard Moore believes that Russia has halved its ability to spy on Europe after expelling Russian intelligence agents from several European countries and arresting several covert spies posing as civilians.
CNN reports it with reference to the statement of the head of MI6.
According to him, after Russia committed military aggression in Ukraine in February 2022, European countries expelled about 400 Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover in the European Union.
"And we reckon, in the UK, that has probably reduced their ability to do their business to spy for Russia in Europe by half," Moore said.
The head of British intelligence also noted that several deep-cover Russian spies posing as ordinary civilians have also been exposed and arrested in recent months.
Richard Moore hopes that Russians in the intelligence and diplomatic services "think about what they see in Ukraine" and decide to "fight back against the system," as many Soviet spies did during the 1968 Prague Spring.
"Our doors are open," he hinted.