British Intelligence Launches Special Darknet Portal To Recruit Spies From Russia

• 19.09.2025, 7:42

Starting Friday, anyone will be able to use the portal.

British intelligence agency MI6 is launching its own specialized Silent Courier portal on the darknet to attract new agents online, including from Russia.

It is reported by BBC.

The British Foreign Office said the platform's goal is to simplify the recruitment process and enhance national security. Potential targets for recruitment will be agents in Russia and other countries around the world.

The launch is expected to be formally announced in a speech to be delivered Friday morning in Istanbul by current MI6 chief Richard Moore.

Ahead of Friday's speech about the new portal, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said national security was the first duty of any government and the foundation of the prime minister's Plan for Change.

She said that as the world changes and threats grow, "we must ensure that the UK is always one step ahead of its adversaries".

"Our world-class intelligence services are at the forefront of this fight, working behind the scenes to keep Britons safe. Now we are amplifying their efforts with advanced technology so that MI6 can recruit new agents for the UK - in Russia and around the world," Cooper said.

The publication notes that starting Friday, anyone will be able to use the portal and confidentially transmit sensitive information related to terrorism or the activities of enemy intelligence services to the UK. Instructions on how to use the portal will be made public on MI6's verified YouTube channel.

Users are advised to log in via reliable VPNs and use devices not personally connected to them.

The launch of the portal follows a similar approach to that of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which in 2023 published social media videos targeting potential Russian agents.