A Spanish naval officer serving at NATO’s Northwood headquarters near London was dismissed following an internal investigation into espionage allegations involving a woman born in the Soviet Union. Court documents reveal the unnamed commander met Yanina White on a dating platform in October 2024. White, who holds British and Polish citizenship but was born in the USSR, was accused of spying for Russian intelligence after attending a Christmas reception at Northwood base in December 2024 and traveling to a Portuguese naval facility where she was invited by the commander.
By early 2025, security concerns prompted an internal investigation. The officer was suspended from his duties and expelled from the base in summer 2025. White denied espionage claims, stating that during her stay at the Portuguese facility she did not access classified information but simply rested by a pool. She also reported facing discrimination due to her Soviet birth.
Separately, on September 10, Russian authorities detained a Ukrainian national who was working as a security guard at the British embassy in Moscow. The detainee had been recruited to gather intelligence on embassy staff with the goal of staging an assassination attempt against the British ambassador and provoking an international scandal. According to the detainee, he contacted the agent in January.
