Russia Targets Educators Collaborating with the British Council Amid Ongoing Tensions
On Thursday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) made allegations against U.K. intelligence, accusing it of using the British Council as a front to undermine Russia. The FSB claimed to have identified teachers at prominent universities who had collaborated with the London-based charity. This development comes amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has intensified since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion over three years ago.
Currently, British officials are perceived as “enemy number one” by Russian authorities, especially as a cautious dialogue between Moscow and Washington unfolds. The British Council, which describes itself as the U.K.’s international organization that promotes cultural relations and educational opportunities, was instructed to halt its operations in Russia back in 2018. On Thursday, the organization did not respond to requests for comment regarding the Russian allegations, as inquiries fell outside regular business hours in London.
Moreover, British intelligence could not be reached for immediate remarks. The fragmented Russian opposition, largely based abroad, has been vocal in criticizing Putin for fostering an increasingly repressive and authoritarian regime, especially as tensions escalate with the West over Ukraine. The FSB, a principal successor to the KGB, stated that they had pinpointed educators in four Russian regions who cooperated with the British Council, framing it as a tool of British intelligence aimed at erasing Russian identity and cultivating a network of influence.
The FSB noted that fifteen Russian citizens had received official warnings for their interactions with the British Council. Furthermore, they urged allies to prohibit the British Council’s activities and cautioned Russian citizens against any engagement with it. The British Council, originally established in 1934 under the name the British Committee for Relations with Other Countries, was created to extend British “soft power” during a period marked by the rise of fascism and communism.