Departing Secret Intelligence Service chief Sir Richard Moore has used his last speech in post to announce a new dark web portal that gives access to the organisation – and encouraged disaffected Russians in particular to use it.
Moore, who is stepping down from the service – which is also known as MI6 – this month, announced the launch of the organisation’s Silent Courier portal on Friday in a speech in Istanbul.
He made extensive references to Vladimir Putin and his 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and painted the Russian president as out of step with many Russians. Moore also asserted that Russia “simply does not have the wherewithal to fully subjugate Ukraine by force”.
Moore said MI6 and the UK government was not hostile to Russia, only to the actions of the Kremlin.
“Putin is not Russia. And not all Russians subscribe to Putinism. Some keep their heads down and try to get on with their lives as best they can,” he said. “Some, like Alexei Navalny, resist openly, and die for their beliefs. But others do so secretly, by working with MI6.”
Moore said Russia was a “big part” of the history of MI6. “The country holds a special place within the service,” he said. “MI6 is full of men and women who know and love many of the achievements of Russian culture, and who understand and respect the sacrifices of its people in our shared struggle against Nazi Germany.”
He continued: “To those men and women in Russia who have truths to share and the courage to share them, I invite you to contact MI6. You will be working to bring peace to our continent; to protect the long-term interests – and redeem the honour – of your country.
“You will be working with a world class organisation. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe. Your needs and aspirations will be paramount. We can help you make a difference.”
Moore said that many of MI6’s “best and most highly motivated agents” had been volunteers and that the organisation’s door was “always open”.
He added: “From today, you can now reach us securely online via our new dark web portal, Silent Courier. Our virtual front door harnesses the anonymity of the dark web so that anyone, anywhere in the world can make secure contact with MI6. So, contact us today via Silent Courier and choose a different future for yourself, for your family and for your country.”
Moore stressed that Silent Courier was not exclusively aimed at disaffected Russians.
“Anyone, anywhere in the world with access to sensitive information relating to terrorism or hostile intelligence activity, can use the new portal to contact MI6,” he said.
Moore served as UK ambassador to Turkey from 2014-17, which was one of the reasons he chose Istanbul as the location for Friday’s speech. He subsequently served as director general for political affairs at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before taking charge of MI6 five years ago.
Moore will be succeeded by Blaise Metreweli from next month. She will be MI6’s first female head.
The outgoing chief said MI6 prided itself on its tenacity and the ability to “hustle” to get ahead of events. “It is a characteristic that is deeply present in my successor,” he said. “An intelligence officer to her core, with a quarter of a century of experience in this business, she understands the guts of spying. But more than that, she gets how technology can enable human espionage.
“She’s spent four years as ‘Q’, not just shaping our approach to fast-evolving technologies like Al, but also delivering innovative tech to the agent-runners, based on her deep understanding of human intelligence.”
'MI6 should reflect the country we’re here to serve'
Moore said that while there were many achievements to be proud of from his time as MI6 chief, he was aware that the organisation had a way to go to reflect the makeup of the UK as a whole.
“I have always believed that MI6 should reflect the country we’re here to serve. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because diversity helps us to do a better job of keeping the UK safe,” he said. “I am pleased we can point to progress. It’s by no means job done, but we have made measurable improvements.
“Many more women have taken on leadership roles across the agency – in intelligence operations, at home and overseas, and in our technology teams. Alongside this, colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds have been promoted into senior positions for the first time.
“But we have more road yet to travel; we’re still only 40% female staff, ethnic minorities are just under 10% of our officers, and we need to do more to attract people from economically deprived backgrounds – of all races.”