Royal Navy intelligence specialist accused for spying for Russia

Twenty-four-year-old warfare intelligence specialist Teddy Young appeared in court last Thursday after being charged with two offences under the National Security Act 2023. The Counter Terrorism Policing London has accused Young of ‘preparation for committing an offence of disclosing protected information’ and of having ‘obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information, intending the conduct to benefit a foreign power’ between November 2024 and May 2025. It is believed that he abused his high-level security clearance to translate defence information into Russian and created a web portal encouraging people to submit intelligence. Young is the first armed forces member to be charged under the National Security Act 2023.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated that they were able to work with the Ministry of Defence to ‘mitigate any potential risks’. Young is expected to appear at the Old Bailey on 16 October. The Metropolitan Police said that Young’s arrest was not connected to the recent RAF Fairford incident. However, this instance does reinforce that the UK’s military is under constant security pressure from foreign forces, even from within the armed forces.

By Francesca Ramoutar