British man charged in UK sabotage plot linked to Russian military spies

London,UPDATED: Sep 10, 2026 00:14 IST

A British man has been charged with assisting Russian military spies in what prosecutors described as a UK sabotage plot. Joshua Cammidge, 31, was charged with engaging in conduct to materially assist a foreign intelligence service in carrying out activities in violation of the Security Act.

Cammidge was arrested last week by counterterrorism police, but authorities have not disclosed what act of sabotage he allegedly planned or intended to commit. He is scheduled to appear on Thursday in Westminster Magistrates' Court in London.

Prosecutors said Cammidge was in contact with a suspected representative of the GRU Volunteer Corps, a group controlled by Russia's military intelligence agency. The UK designated the group a national security threat in July, saying it collected foreign intelligence and carried out hostile covert operations on behalf of Russian military spies.

Support for the GRU was banned under a new law intended to give the government more powers to tackle proxy organisations carrying out hostile activity on behalf of foreign states. Supporters convicted of assisting the group can face up to 14 years in prison.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the case, but said police had acted against a potential threat. "I know people will be concerned about recent incidents across Europe, intended to sow fear, create disruption and undermine support for Ukraine. They will not succeed," Jarvis said. "We'll continue to take whatever action is necessary to defend against the range of threats we face from Russia."

UK authorities have blamed the GRU for hostile activities against the country and its allies, including the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack and wider sabotage and intelligence operations across Europe. Cammidge was not immediately available for comment as the case moved towards his court appearance.

With PTI Inputs

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