London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

UK investigation turns up ‘no evidence of espionage’ or ‘compromise’ of classified defence papers found at bus stop

UK investigation turns up ‘no evidence of espionage’ or ‘compromise’ of classified defence papers found at bus stop

UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace has claimed that there was “no evidence of espionage” behind the discovery last month of a “soggy heap” of classified papers at a bus stop. The blunder has been pinned on an unidentified individual.
Almost 50 pages of Ministry of Defence (MoD) documents were found by a member of the public at a bus stop in Kent in June. When launching a probe into the incident, Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin had said that a lone civil servant was likely behind the major security breach.

On Monday, Wallace confirmed that assumption in a statement to Parliament to announce the findings of that investigation – which “found no evidence of espionage” and “concluded there has been no compromise of the papers by our adversaries.”

“The investigation has independently confirmed the circumstances of the loss, including the management of the papers within the Department, the location at which the papers were lost and the manner in which that occurred. These are consistent with the events self-reported by the individual,” Wallace noted.

Expressing confidence that “all the SECRET papers” were recovered, Wallace told MPs that the “individual concerned has been removed from sensitive work and has already had their security clearance suspended pending a full review.”

Most of the misplaced documents were classified as 'official sensitive', but Quin had admitted that one of the papers was marked 'Secret: UK Eyes Only' – one of the UK’s highest security classifications. The cache also included emails and PowerPoint presentations, and is understood to have originated in the office of a senior MoD official.

Among the documents was a dossier revealing British military considerations of Moscow’s potential reaction to the passage of the warship HMS Defender off the coast of Crimea. The papers also reportedly detailed US-UK deliberations over the future of British troops stationed in Afghanistan once NATO operations in that country come to an end.

The BBC, which was apparently given the documents by the person who found them, had said it had decided against reporting some of the details of this portion of the dossier so as not to “endanger the security of British and other personnel in Afghanistan.”

In reference to HMS Defender’s mission near Crimea – dubbed ‘Op Ditroite’, the MoD reportedly described it as an “innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters.”

According to the documents, British military planners were of the opinion that they had a “strong, legitimate narrative” for sailing through the area, and reasoned that having journalists embedded aboard the warship would “provide an option for independent verification” of the vessel’s actions.

As it transpired, Russian forces on June 23 demanded the Defender leave waters off Cape Fiolent, near the Crimean city of Sevastopol, before the Russian coastguard fired warning shots at the vessel. But the MoD claimed these shots were part of a pre-planned gunnery exercise.

However, a video disproved that claim the next day after it showed Russian forces repeatedly demand the ship leave their waters and, after several warnings, fire warning shots at the intruder.

Russia summoned the British ambassador and the UK’s military attache in Moscow to protest over the incident.

The UK claims Crimea belongs to Ukraine, despite the majority-Russian region returning to Moscow’s administration after a 2014 referendum.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×