UK Man Faces Trial Over Alleged Drone Factory Sabotage for Russian Intelligence
Details of the Case and Legal Proceedings
LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - A British man will go on trial next year accused of providing information about factories which manufacture drones and offering to sabotage them on behalf of Russian intelligence, a London court was told on Friday.
Charges and Allegations
Joshua Cammidge, 31, is charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service and preparing an act of sabotage after contact with the GRU Volunteer Corps, which prosecutors said was controlled by Russia's GRU military intelligence agency.
Communication with Russian Operatives
Prosecutor Sarah Przybylska told London's Old Bailey court that Cammidge, from Swindon, west England, had exchanged messages with a British national who had gone to Russia to fight against Ukraine, in which Cammidge was tasked with locating drone manufacturing sites.
"They discussed sabotaging a site and the defendant volunteered to carry out such sabotage," she said. "It was clear all of this was to assist the Russian war effort."
Additional Accusations
Prosecutors have also accused him of conducting research about a Wi-Fi jamming device and undertaking reconnaissance.
Defense and Court Proceedings
Cammidge was not asked to enter pleas, but his lawyer John Oliver told the court he intended to deny the accusations.
Defense Statement
Oliver said there was "no intention to cause or take part in sabotage" and the communications between the men were "not to be taken seriously".
Russian Embassy Response and Next Steps
Russia's embassy in London has not commented on the case. Cammidge was remanded in custody and will appear again in court to enter a plea in January, with the trial due to take place at Winchester Crown Court in April.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Sam Tobin)
