Declassified MI5 Files Unveil New Details on Cambridge Five Espionage
Newly released archives expose the betrayals, confessions, and operations of Soviet spies who infiltrated British intelligence during the Cold War.
- Kim Philby's confession to MI6 colleague Nicholas Elliott, now public, reveals a mix of truth, lies, and unwavering loyalty to the Soviet Union.
- The files detail Philby's betrayal of Constantin Volkov, a KGB defector, ensuring Volkov's capture and execution by Soviet agents in 1945.
- Anthony Blunt's role as a Soviet spy and his position as Queen Elizabeth II's art adviser were disclosed, with the Queen reportedly reacting calmly when informed in the 1970s.
- MI5 agents described Philby as an 'enigma,' with interrogators unable to conclusively prove his guilt until his 1963 confession and subsequent defection to Moscow.
- The documents highlight the Cambridge Five's decades-long espionage, including their recruitment in the 1930s and the personal and national betrayals that reshaped Cold War intelligence.
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