Sir Richard Moore, outgoing head of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (commonly known as MI6), announced the launch of Silent Courier, a new dark web portal to recruit spies for Britain in Istanbul on Friday.
The online messaging platform will provide a secure way for people across the world – but notably in Russia – to contact British intelligence with sensitive information relating to international terrorism or hostile intelligence activity.
According to a UK government press release, Silent Courier is intended to “harness the anonymity of the dark web for the first time.”
Video instructions explaining how to access the portal have been published on MI6’s YouTube channel in at least eight different languages, including Russian.
Users are recommended to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to disguise their location, and not to use a device that can be easily linked to them.
In the same speech, the British spy chief reflected on his five years in the role and described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine as “a defining issue for me as Chief, and for our country.”
Moore then appealed to the Russian people directly: “To those men and women in Russia who have truths to share and the courage to share them, I invite you to contact MI6.”
“You will be working to bring peace to our continent; to protect the long-term interests – and redeem the honor – of your country,” he added.
Although Moore stressed that it is the Kremlin and not Russia itself that is his country’s enemy, the UK has every reason to suspect Russia of engaging in hostile intelligence activity on British soil.
Three people of undisclosed nationality were arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia in Grays, Essex, on Thursday.
Also on Friday, Moore said that he had seen “absolutely no evidence” to suggest that Putin is interested in any version of peace short of Ukrainian capitulation.
“He is stringing us along,” the spy chief said.