UK to place Russia on highest tier of foreign influence register

Britain said on Tuesday it would place anyone working for the Russian state on the highest tier of its upcoming Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, requiring Moscow to register all efforts to exert political influence in the UK.

Ties between Moscow and London are at a low over Britain's support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion of its neighbour.

Security minister Dan Jarvis said Russian President Vladimir Putin, government agencies, armed forces, intelligence services and a number of political parties would be required to register under the scheme, which will begin on July 1.

"Russia presents an acute threat to UK national security," Jarvis told parliament, citing espionage, arson and cyber attacks and the targeting of lawmakers.

NATO and Western intelligence services have warned that Russia is behind a growing number of hostile activities across the Euro-Atlantic area, ranging from repeated cyber attacks to arson - all of which Russia denies.

Russia's embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Britain's move on Tuesday.

The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme aims to protect Britain from secret foreign influence. It requires registration of political activities directed by foreign powers.

The so called "enhanced tier" of the register, the highest level, targets activities linked to foreign entities posing a risk to the UK. Failure to register when required to do so would be a criminal offence.

Foreign minister David Lammy said Britain was "holding Russia to account and exposing its shady attempts at interference to sunlight for all to see".

The British government also placed the Iranian state, its security services and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the enhanced tier this month for what it said was increasingly aggressive activity against UK targets.