A British man offered to set fire to drone factories in Britain to show his ‘loyalty’ to Russia, a court heard today.
Joshua Cammidge is accused of aiding and abetting Moscow‘s infamous GRU military intelligence by preparing to sabotage a drone factory near his home in Swindon, where weapons for the war Ukraine was manufactured.
The 31-year-old is said to have investigated four drone production sites in Swindon and a WiFi jamming device as part of an apparent sabotage plot.
He is also accused of conducting reconnaissance at the sites to demonstrate his “loyalty to Russia.”
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard that Cammidge received instructions from an individual linked to the GRU Volunteer Corps, a group controlled by Russian intelligence services.
The indictment states that Cammidge provided services between March 27 and September 5 of this year Googling Maps screenshots showing the addresses of four drone manufacturing sites in Swindon and details how one factory operated.
Police have recovered dozens of messages with a “buddy” who they wrongly believed had been killed in Russia’s fighting against Ukraine, it was said.
Prosecutor Warren Stanier claimed he sent a message to Aiden Minnis, a fellow countryman who fought for Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine.
Joshua Cammidge, 31, is accused of preparing to sabotage a drone factory in Britain on behalf of Russian intelligence services. He was taken into custody on Thursday
Between August 28 and September 3, the pair exchanged 58 messages on Telegram, it was said.
Mr Stanier told the court: ‘The essence of it was the location of factories in Britain and the production of drones and the sabotage of those factories.
‘The defendant provided Google Maps [images] and circled screenshots and addresses of factories in Swindon where he lived.
‘One of the factories was very close to his home address. He was asked if he knew anyone willing to burn property for money.
‘The suspect said he would do it himself. It became clear that the suspect would do it himself, but did not want money and did this because of his loyalty to Russia.’
Mr Stanier added: ‘He wanted to do something for Russia. He wanted it to have meaning, he wanted to do something to make a difference.’
Cammidge is said to have confided in an ex-partner and a colleague about ‘spying’ and ‘spying’.
Mr Stanier added: ‘In those conversations he made it clear that he did things because the Russian intelligence services asked him to do so.’
Cammidge has been charged under the National Security Act with assisting a foreign intelligence service and preparing an act of sabotage
Cammidge has been accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service and of intending to commit or undertake conduct in preparation for an act of sabotage.
He did not enter a plea at the hearing, but Mr Stanier said the allegations had been ‘strongly denied’.
Dressed in a gray prison tracksuit, the defendant stared at the ground as the details of the charges were read out.
He was arrested at an address in Swindon last Friday by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London, supported by officers from Wiltshire Police.
In July, the government formally designated the GRU Volunteer Corps under the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026, making it a criminal offense to express support for the group.
A GRU team is believed to be behind the attempted assassination of former spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.
Following Cammidge’s arrest, Security Secretary Dan Jarvis praised police for taking action against a “potential threat” to Britain.
Mr Jarvis said: ‘The police have taken action against a potential threat, and I thank them for the vital work they do every day to keep us safe.
Cammidge did not enter a plea at a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and the case was sent to the Old Bailey for a hearing on September 25 (stock)
“While it would be inappropriate to go further into the details of this case, I know people will be concerned about recent incidents across Europe designed to sow fear, create disruption and undermine support for Ukraine.
‘They won’t succeed. We will continue to take all measures necessary to defend ourselves against the range of threats we face from Russia.
“Anyone who tries to undermine our security will face the full force of the law.”
Today Cammidge was remanded in custody ahead of the next hearing at the Old Bailey on September 25.
