‘Spying is in Russia’s DNA’: Ex-MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove warns of Kremlin threat Dearlove describes Russia as a ‘violent country’

The former head of MI6 warned that Russia is a “violent country” and assassinations are part of the country’s “political DNA”.

Sir Richard Dearlove, who retired from the security services in 2004, made the claim as he predicted that espionage from the Kremlin would never stop.

His warning came after it emerged that the identity of the second suspect in the Salisbury nerve agent attack would be revealed in the Houses of Parliament next week.

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Violent country

The Bellingcat investigative website is set to name the Russian GRU military intelligence officer at a meeting on Tuesday in a Commons committee room hosted by Tory MP Bob Seely.

It follows the government’s decision to publish details last week involving four GRU agents who were caught red handed trying to hack the headquarters of the international chemical weapons watchdog in the Hague.

Previous attempts had been made to hack the Foreign Office and Porton Down in the immediate aftermath of novichok attack in Salisbury.

“Russian espionage, Soviet espionage, has never stopped,” Sir Richard told Sky News.

“It’s deeply embedded in Russia’s DNA to use the capabilities that it has to disrupt our nations, to pursue their own national interest, to, as it were, reinforce Putin in power.

“The attack in the UK fits a historical pattern, Russia historically has always used assassination as weapon, it’s part of the Russian political DNA, it’s a rather terrible thing to say but it’s a violent country and they tend to kill each other.”

Corbyn’s troubling past

He also raised concerns over Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s “past associations”, which he said left him “troubled”.

“He may have abandoned them now but I don’t think he can entirely, as it were, dump your past,” Sir Richard said.

“He’s enthusiastically associated himself with groups and interests which I would not say were the friends of the British nation.”

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell dismissed Sir Richard’s comments – describing him as “a reactionary member of the establishment”.

“I don’t think he’d welcome a Labour government of any sort, to be frank,” he said.