A 31-year-old British man, Joshua Camidge, has been accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service and plotting sabotage in Russia's interests at drone manufacturing facilities in Swindon, infohub.kz reports.
Prosecutors allege that the Swindon resident, from Wiltshire, gathered information about four drone manufacturing facilities in Swindon and conducted reconnaissance at their sites. The court was told the man was prepared to set fire to a British drone factory to demonstrate his loyalty to Russia.
Camidge faces charges of assisting a foreign intelligence service and of intending to commit, or participate in, acts to prepare an act of sabotage. He is said to have contacted a person believed to be linked to the GRU volunteer corps — a structure controlled by Russian intelligence services.
Joshua Camidge, who lives on Galsworthy Close, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court and was remanded in custody. He pleaded not guilty.
Camidge, who has a child, was arrested on September 4 by officers from London's counter-terrorism police, supported by Wiltshire Police, at an address in Swindon. He was taken to a London police station while a search was carried out at another address in Swindon. On September 5, Camidge was detained under the National Security Act 2023 on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service.
During police questioning, he categorically denied all the charges against him. According to the charges, between March 27 and September 5 this year he provided [the person mentioned above] with Google Maps screenshots showing the addresses of four drone manufacturing facilities in Swindon, and disclosed details about the operations of one specific plant.
Prosecutor Warren Stanier told the court that Camidge contacted a person on Facebook believed to be linked to the GRU volunteer corps, after which they agreed to move their communication to Telegram. According to the prosecutor, between August 28 and September 3 they exchanged 58 messages.
"The prosecution's case is that the substance of the correspondence was the passing on of the locations of drone-manufacturing plants located in the UK, as well as discussion of sabotage at those facilities. The prosecution believes he knew exactly who he was communicating with and was aware of the consequences of his actions," Stanier added.
On September 25, Camidge will appear before the Old Bailey.
In July, the British government officially added the GRU volunteer corps to the list of organizations covered by the National Security Act 2026, making expressions of support for the structure a criminal offence. The group as a whole is subject to UK sanctions, and hackers linked to the agency are accused of cyberattacks on British territory.