Russians strike after hacking UK phones

A CRUISE missile attack on a Ukrainian military base housing foreign fighters was launched after Russian forces hacked into phones used by British personnel, security sources have claimed.

At least 35 people were killed in the strike on the Yavoriv training base near the Polish border last Sunday, with unconfirmed reports that former British soldiers were among the dead and wounded.

Now the security sources believe the guided missiles – around 30 in total – were fired at the base containing 600 foreign volunteers after phones used by the Britons were compromised by the Russians.

UK mobile numbers were said to have ‘lit up’ the Ukrainian phone network. As a result, Kremlin agents were able to confirm the presence of former British military personnel at the vast base – and choose which buildings to hit.

Former British defence intelligence officer Philip Ingram said last night Russia would be ‘monitoring the phone networks in Ukraine for unusual activity, such as foreign devices joining’.

He added: ‘The Russians have ground-based, air-based and spacebased listening capabilities, but are just as likely to have compromised the networks from within.’

Mr Ingram described mobile devices as ‘perfect target locating beacons for an enemy’. He said: ‘Awareness regarding this sort of threat among British military personnel is poor. Many don’t think about digital exposure as much as they do physical exposure.’

Sources also fear some of the volunteers may have been ‘turned’ by Moscow’s agents who have ‘subverted’ them by exploiting their credit card debts.

It has led to calls from the British intelligence community for the volunteers to be dissuaded from heading to the region. One source pointed the finger at Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, blaming her for encouraging Britons to volunteer. The source said: ‘It is not safe. They are badly led, badly equipped and badly compromised by Russians.’

UK citizens are supposed to follow the Foreign Office’s guidance which is not to travel to Ukraine.

But just days after the Russian invasion, Ms Truss said she ‘absolutely’ supported individuals from the UK who wanted to join Ukrainian international units.

It also emerged yesterday that Russia is selecting targets in Ukraine based on phone data its agents harvested in Britain.

Officers from its chief intelligence office, the GRU, visited some of Britain’s most sensitive military sites – including the headquarters of the SAS – and recorded mobile phone data as devices were switched on.

The Kremlin-compiled database is now being compared against international numbers popping up on Ukraine’s mobile networks.

According to an urgent security notice shared between ex-SBS and SAS personnel, the appearance of two such numbers in any location could trigger a missile attack.

The notice said: ‘It does not matter if this is an aid camp, it will not appear that way to RU forces. This cannot be overstated.’

Last night the MoD said: ‘We do not comment on Special Forces. Security remains a top priority for our personnel and their devices.’

‘Mobiles are perfect beacons for an enemy’