Richard Moore, the head of MI6, speaks to CNN at the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday 21st July. (CNN)
British spy chief Richard Moore said in an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto that Russia was “about to run out of steam” in Ukraine.
“The Russians will have increasing difficulties providing manpower and material in the coming weeks. They will have to pause and that will give the Ukrainians an opportunity to hit back,” said Moore, chief of MI6, in the interview, his first outside the UK.
“(Putin) suffered a strategic error in Ukraine,” and the armed forces lost 15,000 lives, Moore said on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum, adding that it was “probably a conservative estimate.”
However, Moore said it was very important for Ukrainians’ morale to demonstrate their ability to fight back.
“It will be an important reminder to the rest of Europe that this is a winnable campaign by Ukrainians. Because we’re going to have a pretty tough winter ahead of us.”
“Winter is upon us and in this atmosphere with the pressure on gas supplies and everything else we are clearly in for a difficult time,” added Moore.
He said that European countries made joint efforts against Russian intelligence after Russia invaded Ukraine.
“North of 400 Russian intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover, they were expelled,” and it has cut Russian spy capability in Europe by half.
When asked about rumors about Putin’s poor health, Moore said, “There is no evidence that Putin is seriously ill.”
His comments came after the eviction of more than 400 Russian intelligence officers from cities across Europe and the arrest of several secret agents posing as civilians.
Moore told CNN that since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, European countries “north of 400 Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic guise” have been expelled from the entire bloc.
“And we understand that in the UK that probably reduced their ability to do business to spy for Russia in Europe by half,” Moore said. He added that a number of “illegals,” or Russian spies operating under cover and masquerading as ordinary civilians, have also been exposed and arrested in recent months.
Asked if the war in Ukraine has made Russia a “target-rich environment” for the UK and its allies to recruit potential assets, Moore only replied that “it is our hope” that the Russians in the Intelligence and diplomatic services “think about what they’re going to witness in Ukraine” and resolve to “strike back against the system,” as many did during the Prague Spring of 1968.
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