British man charged with aiding Russian spies to sabotage UK drone factory - AP News

A 31-year-old British man has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service following an investigation into an alleged sabotage plot linked to Russian military spies. Joshua Cammidge was arrested last week by officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command and Wiltshire Police at a property in Swindon.

Following his initial arrest on Friday, Cammidge was transported to a London police station for questioning. Authorities subsequently conducted searches at a separate address in Swindon. On Saturday, he was further detained under the provisions of the United Kingdom’s National Security Act.

The Crown Prosecution Service announced the charges on Wednesday, stating that Cammidge allegedly received instructions from a suspected representative of the GRU Volunteer Corps. This organization is controlled by Russia’s military intelligence agency and was officially designated by the United Kingdom in July as a national security threat due to its involvement in foreign intelligence collection and hostile covert operations.

Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, stated that prosecutors have determined there is sufficient evidence to proceed with the case and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings. The charges specifically relate to the intent to commit an act of sabotage.

Cammidge is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday to face the charges. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to process the evidence gathered during the arrest and subsequent property searches.