WW3 fears spike as Russian spies ‘target £70-a-night hotel near NATO HQ’

Russian spies are reportedly keeping close tabs on staff at a major NATO base amid threats from Moscow of a "war in Europe" over intervention in Ukraine. Kremlin agents have been stationed in a hotel near the US's Clay Kaserne military base in the German city of Wiesbaden, also populated by a number of international NATO employees, according to reports. The UK Government has reportedly issued a security alert for suspected espionage, focused near the alliance's German hub for military support, training and logistics for the Ukrainian fightback against Vladimir Putin 's regime. NATO employees at the £70-per-night Wiesbaden hotel reportedly raised the alarm to their superiors after spotting "suspicious individuals monitoring the comings and goings" of its occupants. It comes days after Russian infiltrators were caught posing as fishermen and tourists in the northern port city of Kirkenes in Norway, which lies just a few kilometres from the border between the two countries. A NATO official told the i newspaper that Kremlin subterfuge had ramped up at key ports and military bases in recent months. "We are hyper aware of surveillance," they said. They added that staff accommodation near other key sites had similarly been put on alert for intelligence gathering activities. Russian propagandists, including Dmitri Medvedev, have long threatened invasion or nuclear annihilation of the West, but a recent increase in covert operations, including a spy ship being spotted in UK waters last year, has given them fresh credence. Addressing speculation that NATO countries could send troops into Ukraine as part of a peace deal, Mr Medvedev suggested European leaders "want a war" on the continent last week. "It's been said a thousand times," he told state TV. " Russia won't accept any European or NATO troops in Ukraine." Another NATO official told the i: "Russia has ramped up its covert campaign against our societies. We need to be prepared for further escalation and confrontation." A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said it treats such threats with the "utmost seriousness". "The UK, alongside our NATO allies, remains highly vigilant and resilient in the face of hostile state activities, including surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts," they added. The spike in reports of espionage comes as Moscow continues to ramp up its attacks on Ukraine , with at least four people killed in the capital of Kyiv after hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles were launched overnight on Thursday. Russia has also employed powerful new equipment to intensify its strikes in eastern Europe, including the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile and the jet-powered Geran-5 strike drone, which can reportedly carry a 90kg warhead and has a range of almost 620 miles.

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