UK loses two decades looking for ‘Russian mole’ in MI6
(MENAFN) British intelligence services spent over 20 years investigating a suspected Russian mole within MI6, only to abandon the case after failing to uncover any proof, The Guardian reported on Friday, citing anonymous sources. The operation, codenamed "Wedlock," concluded as inconclusive, with the primary suspect eventually leaving the agency.
The inquiry, which began in the mid-1990s and continued until around 2015, was overseen by MI5, the UK’s domestic counter-intelligence agency. MI6, responsible for foreign intelligence, launched the probe after a tip-off from the CIA suggested that a senior officer might be leaking information to Russia.
One source told The Guardian, “We were told he was a Russian spy… the Americans believed he was providing intelligence to Moscow. The operation became MI5’s top priority.” Wedlock reportedly involved up to 35 officers and included extensive surveillance, such as bugging the suspect’s home, following him around London, and even tracking him overseas—actions that may have stretched MI5’s legal remit.
MI5 suspected the alleged mole had two accomplices in London but could not find evidence to support that theory. “We thought it was another Philby,” said one source, referencing notorious Cold War double agent Kim Philby of the Soviet-linked Cambridge Five.
The investigation continued until at least 2015, by which point the suspect had already left MI6. Despite the vast resources committed, no concrete evidence of espionage was ever found. “MI5 never got the smoking gun,” said one insider, describing the operation as “exceptional—possibly the longest and most expensive in recent memory.”
The UK has a history of accusing Russia of espionage and subversive activities without publicly releasing solid proof. In 2018, London claimed Moscow was behind the attempted poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer and MI6 asset Sergey Skripal and his daughter—an allegation Russia denied.
Tensions between the UK and Russia have intensified since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Britain has imposed sanctions on Moscow and provided military support to Kiev. Russian officials, in turn, accuse British intelligence of helping train Ukrainian operatives for sabotage missions inside Russian territory.
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