Russiaâs foreign intelligence service has accused Ukraine and the United Kingdom of working together on what it claims is a âfalse-flagâ operation against a United States Navy warship in the Baltic Sea. The accusation comes at a time when global attention is focused on other conflicts, particularly in the Middle East.
In a public statement, Russiaâs SVR (Foreign Intelligence Service) said that Ukraine’s security forces, with support from British intelligence agencies, are planning acts of sabotage to harm Russia’s image. The SVR claims one plan involves making it appear that Russia launched a torpedo at a US naval ship. According to the SVR, the goal is to frame Russia and increase international support for Ukraine.
The SVR claims the alleged plan involves using old Russian or Soviet-made torpedoes, which may have been transferred from Ukraine to British intelligence. In this version of events, one of the torpedoes would be intentionally left unexploded as so-called “proof” of Russian involvement. Russia also claims the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) were asked to work with European allies to carry out such operations.
There is no publicly available evidence to confirm these allegations. At the time of publication, Ukraine has not responded to Russiaâs claims.
Russia Cites Torpedoes Attack Amid Baltic Tensions
Russiaâs spy agency said more attacks could be planned to make Russia look bad. One idea involves European countries finding Russian naval mines in the Baltic Sea. These countries might say the mines were there to block trade. Russia claims that Northern European nations would help with this plan.
These new claims follow past events in the Baltic. Last year, some countries said Russia damaged undersea pipelines and cables. Russia said that was false and meant to harm its image.
The spy agency also said British intelligence is more involved now. They pointed to past blasts on Russian railways in Bryansk and Kursk as proof of similar plots.
Russian officials claim that the overall goal of these alleged operations is to increase international support for Ukraine, especially from the United States. Russia argues that Ukraine is attempting to escalate the conflict in a way that would make it harder for peace talks to succeed.
Ceasefire Talks Face New Roadblocks Amid Russiaâs Demands
Russia blames Ukraine for sabotage. At the same time, it says it is ready for peace talksâbut only with strict conditions.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko spoke to Russian media. He said Ukraine must destroy all Western weapons it has received. He warned these weapons could reach criminals and black markets. Grushko said they are dangerous for both Russia and Europe.
Russia also wants Ukraine to demobilize its army. It wants Ukraine to give up claims to regions now under Russian control. These include Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine has refused. President Zelensky gave an interview and called the demands an ultimatum. He said Russiaâs team at peace talks in Istanbul admitted that Ukraine would never agree to those terms.
Despite these disagreements, prisoner swaps between the two countries have continued. However, tensions remain high, and mutual trust is low. Russia believes that Ukraine may try to involve NATO or the United States in the conflict through provocative actions. Ukraine, on the other hand, continues to seek stronger international support and calls for increased pressure on Moscow to end the war.