Russia accuses UK of wild neo-Nazi conspiracy theory

Russia has accused Britain and the West of being part of a wild, neo-Nazi conspiracy amid reports the grandfather of the new head of MI6 was a Nazi spy chief. Blaise Metreweli was announced as the new chief of the UK's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) earlier this month. Her grandfather, Constantine Dobrowolski, reportedly defected from the Red Army to become a Nazi informant in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine.

In a bizarre and outlandish claim, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday (June 28) that Ms Metreweli's appointment to the post was evidence of a wider "trend" in the West. Russian state news agency TASS quoted Ms Zakharova as saying: "Someone purposefully and consciously puts descendants of the Nazis in leadership positions in the countries of the collective West."

The diplomat baselessly claimed the "trend is obviously neo-Nazi" before listing other prominent politicians, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbok.

Mr Merz's father was a Wehrmacht veteran who spent four years in a prisoner of war camp in the Soviet Union. Ms Baerbock's grandfather also served in the Wehrmacht. Russia had tried and failed to discredit her candidacy for the UN role by pointing to her relative's Nazi past.

Zakharova's bizarre conspiracy claims are the latest in a line of allegations made by Russian politicians, including former prime minister Dmitry Medvedev. They have been dismissed as disinformation meant to discredit the western democracies supporting Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made baseless claims that Ukraine is under a "neo-Nazi regime" to justify his illegal invasion of the country.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: "Blaise Metreweli neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather. Blaise's ancestry is characterised by conflict and division and, as is the case for many with eastern European heritage, only partially understood.

"It is precisely this complex heritage which has contributed to her commitment to prevent conflict and protect the British public from modern threats from today's hostile states, as the next chief of MI6."

Ms Metreweli will take over as head of MI6 from Sir Richard Moore, a senior civil servant who will step down in the autumn after five years in the role.

Commonly referred to as C, the chief has operational responsibility for MI6, and is the only publicly named member of the organisation.

She first joined the service as a case officer in 1999 and has carried out operational roles in the Middle East and Europe.

In her new post, she will be accountable to the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy.