British man charged over alleged assistance to Russian intelligence

A 31-year-old man from Swindon has been charged in the United Kingdom under the National Security Act over alleged contact with Russia's military intelligence network. Joshua Cammidge is accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service and of preparatory conduct. He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

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Police said Cammidge was arrested at an address in Swindon on Friday by Counter Terrorism Policing London officers, with support from Wiltshire Police. He was taken to a London police station, and searches were carried out at a separate address in Swindon. The Crown Prosecution Service said the allegations involve instructions from an individual believed to be linked to the GRU Volunteer Corps, a group controlled by Russia's military intelligence agency.

The case is one of the more serious domestic security prosecutions brought under the National Security Act, which was introduced to strengthen the response to espionage and foreign interference. Charges of this kind are closely watched because they sit at the intersection of criminal law, counterintelligence and wider concerns about hostile state activity. The involvement of specialist counter-terrorism officers also underlines the sensitivity of the investigation.

The National Security Act was designed to give prosecutors broader powers in cases involving foreign intelligence services, including conduct that may fall short of traditional espionage offences. In practice, that means authorities can act earlier in a suspected intelligence operation, including where preparatory steps are alleged. The reference to a network linked to Russia's military intelligence agency places the case within a broader pattern of UK concern about hostile-state activity.

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At this stage, the allegations have not been tested in court and no evidence has been publicly set out beyond the charging decision. The court appearance on Thursday is expected to be the next formal step in the case. It remains unclear what specific instructions Cammidge is alleged to have received, how long the alleged contact lasted, and whether any wider investigation is continuing.

What happens in court will determine how much of the prosecution case becomes public and whether further hearings are scheduled. The case will also be watched for any indication of links to other suspected foreign intelligence activity in the UK. For now, the charge marks a significant development in a live national security investigation.

#NationalSecurityAct #Russianintelligence #CounterTerrorismPolicingLondon #CrownProsecutionService #WestminsterMagistratesCourt