Latest news with #militaryintelligence
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
London tunnels that inspired James Bond creator will become spy museum
During his time in military intelligence, Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, regularly worked with Winston Churchill's spy organisation based 30 metres below ground in a labyrinth of tunnels in central London. The Kingsway Exchange tunnels complex, stretching out across 8,000 sq metres beneath High Holborn, near Chancery Lane underground station, hosted the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and is said to have inspired Q Branch in Fleming's novels. So it seems appropriate that plans to breathe new life into this long-abandoned second world war subterranean network will include a permanent exhibition about the history of military intelligence and espionage. The Military Intelligence Museum is to collaborate with the London Tunnels company, developing the complex to showcase its original artefacts, equipment, weapons and documents in a modern hi-tech experience at the proposed new £220m London tourist attraction, which is planned to open in 2028. Today the tunnels remain closed, but inside they yield many clues to their fascinating past. Construction began in 1940 to protect Londoners during the blitz but was not completed until 1942, so the tunnels were never used for their original purpose. A wide set of stairs remain, where those fleeing the Luftwaffe could descend from Chancery Lane tube station, though the entrance has long been blocked off. Later in the war, the SOE moved in to dream up all manner of imaginative ways to thwart the Nazis. The tunnels' next incarnation was as the Kingsway telephone exchange, which in the 1950s served as an internal communications exchange during the cold war. An artesian well, to provide fresh water to those stuck underground in the event of a nuclear attack, remains. British Telecom took over the site in the 1980s, creating the world's deepest licensed bar for use by the government staff. The old bar, decorated in then fashionable brown, orange and yellow, also remains, as does the long-disused staff canteen. The plan now is to create a new bar, with claims to be the deepest in any major city. Under the proposals, which have been granted full planning permission, the site will be developed into a three-in-one attraction – exhibitions, immersive interactive exhibitions and the bar. Exhibitions about James Bond and the cold war, as well as a memorial to the blitz, have all been mooted, and subjects will change regularly. Taking inspiration from venues such as Les Bassins des Lumières in Bordeaux, other spaces will provide fully immersive digital experiences. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The London Tunnels said work was scheduled to begin in 2027, with completion in 2028. It aims to attract up to 3 million visitors a year, revitalising an area close to the City of London which has had reduced footfall since the Covid pandemic. The venue will provide 'the world's most authoritative permanent exhibition of military intelligence', said Gen Sir Jim Hockenhull, the commander of Strategic Command and colonel commandant of the Intelligence Corps. 'The tunnels will provide a dramatic and historic backdrop for an exciting new approach to telling the story of the past, present and future of military intelligence.' This exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain and D-day, the extraordinary espionage operations of the cold war and the fight for the Falklands to peace-keeping missions and the terrorist threat of the 21st century. A special exhibition, created by the museum, will be dedicated to the SOE. Angus Murray, the chief executive of London Tunnels, said: 'The tunnels, built and designed to protect Londoners during the blitz, are the ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable, and untold, stories of the men and women who played a vital role in protecting Britain then, and the role of the armed services protecting Britain today.'
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Military intelligence show to be housed in London Blitz tunnels
The history of military intelligence will be explored as part of a planned tourist attraction in London's World War Two air raid shelter part of its plans to bring the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels to the public, London Tunnels will collaborate with the Museum of Military Intelligence to showcase original artefacts, equipment, weapons and 8,000 sq m of tunnels under High Holborn were built in 1942 to provide protection during the Blitz. They were later used as a home for a British spy Murray, CEO, The London Tunnels, said the site was an ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable stories of men and women who played a "vital role in protecting Britain". The tunnels, which featured in the first James Bond novel, have remained unused since they were decommissioned in 1990. The exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain and D-Day, the espionage operations of the Cold War, the Falklands War, peace-keeping missions and the terrorist threat of the 21st Century. General Sir Jim Hockenhull KBE ADC Gen, Commander of Strategic Command and Colonel Commandant of the Intelligence Corps, said it would be "the world's most authoritative permanent exhibition of military intelligence".The trustees of the Museum of Military Intelligence said the "historically significant and evocative location" would bring the exhibition to Museum of Military Intelligence was founded by the British Army's Intelligence Corps and is now also supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia plans to launch intercontinental ballistic missile on Sunday, Kyiv says
KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainia's military intelligence agency said that Russia was planning to conduct a "training and combat" launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile late on Sunday to intimidate Ukraine and the West. The GUR agency said in a statement on the Telegram app that the launch was ordered to be implemented from Russia's Sverdlovsk region, adding that the flight range for the missile was more than 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles).
Al Arabiya
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Russia plans to launch intercontinental ballistic missile on Sunday, Kyiv says
Ukraine's military intelligence agency said that Russia was planning to conduct a 'training and combat' launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile late on Sunday to intimidate Ukraine and the West. The GUR agency said in a statement on the Telegram app that the launch was ordered to be implemented from Russia's Sverdlovsk region, adding that the flight range for the missile was more than 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles).
Russia Today
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine accuses EU state of spying
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has said it dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network allegedly operating in Transcarpathia, Ukraine's westernmost region. In a statement on X on Friday, SBU spokesman Artyom Degtyarenko said two Ukrainian military veterans – a man and a woman – were detained as part of the operation. The network, Degtyarenko claimed, was run by Hungary's military intelligence service and tasked with gathering sensitive data on Ukraine's defenses in Transcarpathia. It also reportedly collected information on local socio-political views, including how residents might respond to a potential Hungarian military incursion. 'For the first time in the history of Ukraine, the Security Service has exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network, which carried out espionage activities to the detriment of our state,' Degtyarenko said. The SBU also released a video that purportedly shows the apprehension of the male suspect. Both detainees are in custody and face charges of high treason. If convicted, they could face life in prison and property seizure, the spokesman said. Asked to comment on the situation, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto dismissed the SBU's accusations as anti-Hungarian propaganda. 'In the past three years, it has unfortunately been proven that the Ukraine conflict is partly a propaganda war as well,' he told reporters on Friday. 'It is clear that anti-Hungarian propaganda is often used in Ukraine, which in many cases has been found to have no basis whatsoever.' In a separate Facebook post, Szijjarto said the 'intensifying smear campaign' by the Kiev regime stems from Hungary's refusal to support Ukraine militarily in its conflict with Russia. He warned that Ukraine's EU accession depends partly on Hungary's backing and said Budapest 'won't tolerate' slander from Kiev. Szijjarto added that Hungary expelled two individuals on Friday who he said were Ukrainian agents operating under diplomatic cover at the embassy in Budapest. Tensions between Kiev and Budapest have been growing over the Ukraine conflict, with Hungary refusing to supply weapons or support Ukraine's EU bid while maintaining ties with Moscow despite pressure from Brussels. Budapest has also long accused Kiev of discriminating against the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia. Hungary has criticized Ukrainian laws that limit education and public administration in minority languages as infringing upon the rights of ethnic Hungarians.
