In the United Kingdom, 31-year-old Joshua Cammidge of Swindon has been charged under the National Security Act over alleged cooperation with Russian military intelligence. The announcement was made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Metropolitan Police (Scotland Yard).
According to investigators, Cammidge communicated with and received instructions from a person believed to be linked to the so-called GRU Volunteer Corps — a structure that British authorities regard as controlled by Russian military intelligence. He is charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service (Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023) and with preparatory conduct related to an intention to commit an act of sabotage (Section 18 of the same Act).
Cammidge was detained on 4 September in Swindon by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London, supported by Wiltshire Police. He was taken to a police station in London, and a search was carried out at another address in Swindon. The following day he was arrested again under the National Security Act and remanded in custody.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 10 September. Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said prosecutors had established that there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it was in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings. He also noted that proceedings were now active and that the defendant had the right to a fair trial.
UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the country would take “whatever action is necessary” to defend against threats from Russia, and that anyone attempting to undermine the country’s security would “feel the full force of the law.” The Russian embassy in London did not immediately comment.
British authorities previously designated the GRU Volunteer Corps a national security threat in July, linking it to the collection of intelligence and hostile covert operations. Officials have not disclosed details of the alleged sabotage. The charges remain unproven in court.
