The head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, Richard Moore, recently expressed gratitude towards Russian state television for inadvertently spreading his message encouraging Russians to spy for the UK. In a speech delivered in July at the British Embassy in Prague, Moore called on Russians to "join hands with us" and spy for Britain. The clip of his speech was broadcasted by Maria Butina, a former Russian spy, in a program about Moore on Channel 1 in September. While Butina scoffed at Moore's recruitment efforts and accused him of employing "cheap methods," experts believe that her viewers are the exact demographic that British intelligence would be interested in.

Moore thanked the Russian state TV for helping to reach the target audience in Russia. Butina, who spent over a year in prison in the United States for attempting to infiltrate US political groups, expressed shock that Moore was interested in her show and labeled his position as "desperate and weak." She questioned whether MI6 was competent enough to translate their content into Russian without the help of Russian TV. Butina also highlighted that her program portrayed Moore and MI6 in an "unpleasant and ugly" manner, suggesting that it would deter potential Russian spies from joining Britain's intelligence agency.

However, experts believe that Moore's message could still be successful since intelligence work relies on throwing crumbs and hoping someone will nibble. The limited coverage of Moore's comments in Russian media at the time suggests that the Kremlin may have issued secret instructions to news organizations to avoid covering his remarks. Western officials have noticed a shift in the motivations of Russians sharing information with the West, with anger towards President Vladimir Putin's government becoming a driving force for defectors.

While the risks of spying for a Western intelligence agency are well-known, Moore assured potential recruits that MI6 would handle their offers of help with discretion and professionalism. Reports of Russia targeting and targeting and harming citizens who spy against Moscow have been widespread, including the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in 2018. The UK government has accused Russian intelligence services of cyberespionage and meddling in British politics, targeting high-profile politicians, civil servants, and journalists.

Russia has a history of giving former agents their own television shows, such as Anna Chapman's "Chapman's Secrets" in 2011 and Andrei Lugovoi's "Traitors" in 2014. Lugovoi is wanted in the UK for his involvement in the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. Despite the risks involved, Moore's message resonated with those disillusioned by the incompetence and corruption of Russian leaders, making the translation and broadcast of his speech by Russian state TV a significant development in the world of espionage.