The UK has cautioned its troops over risks posed by Russian spies using drones to monitor military bases, particularly those hosting training for Ukrainian troops as part of the British-led Operation Interflex. As reported by The Times, the UK’s Field Army Threat Handbook, published in October 2023, includes warnings against drones used by Russian intelligence to spy on Ukrainian troops taking part in training in the UK. “The training of the AFU [Armed Forces of Ukraine] remains of significant intelligence interest to Hostile Foreign Intelligence Services and the national press,” the handbook reads. Advertisement“RIS [Russian intelligence services] routinely employ a range of physical reconnaissance and technical capabilities… to collect on UK land activities, including the training of armed forces of Ukraine personnel. In July, Politico reported that drones of unknown origin were frequently spotted over the training areas used by Ukrainian recruits in Germany.
