A missile attack on a Ukrainian military base was carried out after Russian troops hacked into British phones.
- Sources claim that the missile at the Yavoriv training base was launched after the phone was hacked.
- At least 35 people were killed in an attack on a training base last Sunday.
- According to unconfirmed reports, there are former British soldiers among those killed and wounded.
Security sources say the cruise missile attack on a Ukrainian military base housing foreign fighters was carried out after Russian forces hacked phones used by British troops.
At least 35 people were killed in a strike on the Yaworiv training base near the Polish border last Sunday. According to unconfirmed reports, former British soldiers were among those killed and wounded.
Now, security sources believe that guided missiles – about 30 in all – were fired at the base, which housed 600 foreign volunteers, after the Russians hacked phones used by the British.
Relatives and friends in Lvov this week attend a farewell ceremony for four Ukrainian servicemen who died in an airstrike on a military base in Yavoriv.
It is said that UK mobile numbers have “illuminated” the Ukrainian telephone network.
As a result, Kremlin agents were able to confirm the presence of ex-British troops in the vast base – and choose which buildings to hit.
Former British military intelligence officer Philip Ingram said last night that Russia would “monitor telephone networks in Ukraine for unusual activity such as connecting foreign devices.”
He added: “The Russians have ground-based, air-based and space-based eavesdropping capabilities, but they are just as likely to compromise networks from the inside.”
Mr. Ingram described mobile devices as “ideal target beacons for the enemy.”
He said: “The knowledge of the British military about these types of threats is poor. A lot of people think less about digital impact and more about physical impact.”
The sources also fear that some of the volunteers may have been “turned down” by agents in Moscow who “set them up” using their credit card debts.
This led to calls from the British intelligence community to dissuade volunteers from traveling to the region.
One source pointed the finger at Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, accusing her of encouraging the British to volunteer.
A source said: “It’s not safe. They are badly led, badly equipped and badly compromised by the Russians.”
One source pointed the finger at Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (pictured), accusing her of encouraging the British to volunteer.
British citizens must follow the instructions of the Foreign Office not to travel to Ukraine.
But just days after the Russian invasion, Ms Truss said she “absolutely” supports individuals from the UK who want to join Ukraine’s international units.
Also yesterday it became known that Russia selects targets in Ukraine based on telephone data collected by its agents in the UK.
Officers from his main intelligence agency, the GRU, visited some of the UK’s most secret military installations, including SAS headquarters, and recorded mobile phone data when the devices were turned on.
The database compiled by the Kremlin is now being compared with international numbers appearing on Ukraine’s mobile networks.
According to an urgent security notice given to former SBS and SAS employees, the appearance of two such numbers anywhere could trigger a missile attack.
The notice said: “It doesn’t matter if this is a relief camp, it will not appear as such to the RU forces. It cannot be overestimated.”
Last night, the Ministry of Defense said: “We do not comment on the special forces. Safety remains a top priority for our employees and their devices.”