A 31-year-old British man has been charged under the National Security Act over alleged contact with Russia's military intelligence agency, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
Joshua Cammidge, from Swindon, in southwest England, was arrested on Friday by Counter Terrorism Policing London officers, supported by officers from Wiltshire Police, at an address in Swindon. He was taken to a London police station while searches were carried out at a separate Swindon address. He was further arrested and detained under the National Security Act the following day.
Charges were formally brought on Wednesday. Cammidge is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
He has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, contrary to Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, and preparatory conduct, contrary to Section 18 of the same act.
Cammidge allegedly received instructions from an individual believed to be a representative of the GRU Volunteer Corps, a group controlled by Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, with the intent to commit an act of sabotage.
The United Kingdom designated the GRU Volunteer Corps a national security threat in July, citing its role in collecting foreign intelligence and conducting hostile covert operations on behalf of Russian military intelligence. Support for the group was banned under legislation designed to give the government greater powers to tackle proxy organisations carrying out hostile activity on behalf of foreign states. Those convicted of assisting the group face up to 14 years in prison.
The GRU has previously been blamed by UK authorities for a range of hostile activities, including the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack and broader sabotage and intelligence operations across Europe.
Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: "Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings."
Ferguson added: "We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are active and he has the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the UK would take "whatever action is necessary" to defend against Russian threats. "Anyone attempting to undermine our security will feel the full force of the law," he said.
Jarvis also addressed broader concerns about Russian activity on the continent. "Whilst it would be inappropriate to comment further on the specifics of this case, 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," he said.
Relations between Britain and Russia have deteriorated sharply since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with British authorities increasingly warning about alleged Russian espionage, sabotage and other hostile state activity. Last month, Russia warned it could strike British military targets in response to Ukrainian attacks using British-supplied long-range missiles.
