Putin had to negotiate with Wagner boss Prigozhin to 'save his own skin', says MI6 boss

The head of United Kingdom's MI6 has made an appeal to Russians who are deeply disturbed by the atrocities of Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, encouraging them to defect and become spies for the UK in order to put an end to the ongoing violence, reported Sky News.

In a remarkable and open recruitment statement, Richard Moore disclosed during a speech that several individuals have already made this decision in the last 18 months since Russia initiated its invasion.

Additionally, Richard Moore stated that Russian president Vladimir Putin was "under pressure" and had to negotiate with the head of the Wagner mercenary company to "save his own skin".

The chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6, refrained from mentioning specific targets for his recruitment efforts, but he implied that disenchanted Russian intelligence officers, military officials, and diplomats would be highly valuable as potential assets.

"There are many Russians today who are silently appalled by the sight of their armed forces pulverising Ukrainian cities, expelling innocent families from their homes and kidnapping thousands of children," Moore said.

"They are watching in horror as their soldiers ravage a kindred country. They know in their hearts that Putin's case for attacking a fellow Slavic nation is fraudulent."

The secretive spymaster, known for his rare public appearances, delivered his remarks during a live-streamed speech at the British embassy in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

Moore cites the Prague Spring as evidence

During his address, he referenced the tragic events of 1968, when the Soviet Union brutally suppressed the Prague Spring uprising in Czechoslovakia. This historical context served to illustrate how such violent actions by the Russian government had driven some Russian officials to defect and become spies for the United Kingdom, driven by their disgust for the atrocities unfolding in their own country.

"As they witness the venality, infighting and callous incompetence of their leaders - the human factor at its worst - many more Russians are wrestling with the same dilemmas and the same tugs of conscience as their predecessors did in 1968," he said.

"I invite them to do what others have already done this past 18 months and join hands with us.

"Our door is always open. We will handle their offers of help with the discretion and professionalism for which our service is famed.

"Their secrets will always be safe with us and together we will work to bring the bloodshed to an end. My service lives by the principle that our loyalty to our agents is lifelong and our gratitude eternal."