Russian security forces have accused the British Council of spying in Ukraine, claiming that the cultural body is “just a cover for the work of the intelligence services”. The organisation specialises in international educational opportunities, working in more than 100 nations to promote a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language.
However, in a Telegram post last night, state-aligned Russian news agency RIA last night referred to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the KGB.
The post explained: “The FSB states that the British government organisation ‘British Council’ was engaged in intelligence in the Kherson region through controlled organisations.
“The officially stated goals of the council are to develop cooperation in education and culture, but in reality all this is just a cover for the work of the intelligence services, the FSB says.”
RIA continued: “Thus, the British Council used Ukrainian refugees living in Great Britain to obtain ‘information of a military-political nature’ through their connections in the Kherson region.
“Russian citizen Sergei Chebukin came under the influence of the organisation, who eventually realised that he was being drawn into criminal schemes and turned to law enforcement.
“The activities of the British Council are now being checked by security forces.”
The post did not explain what specific action the FSB was taking to monitor the work of the Council, nor did it specify any evidence of espionage.
The British Council’s mission statement on its website states: “We work directly with individuals to help them gain the skills, confidence and connections to transform their lives and shape a better world in partnership with the UK.
“We support them to build networks and explore creative ideas, to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications.
“We work with governments and our partners in the education, English language and cultural sectors, in the UK and globally. Working together we make a bigger difference, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world.
“We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2022–23 we reached 600 million people.”
Express.co.uk has approached the Council for comment on the allegations.
