Putin's spymaster spoke by phone with new MI6 chief, TASS reports

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin attends a meeting of President Vladimir Putin with members of Security Council and the government and the heads of law enforcement agencies, Russia October 30, 2023. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS

MOSCOW, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign intelligence director, Sergei Naryshkin, said that he had recently spoken by telephone to the chief of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), TASS reported on Thursday.

"A few days ago, I had a rather lengthy telephone conversation with the newly appointed chief of MI6, [Blaise] Metreweli," said Naryshkin, the director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

Naryshkin said that Russian intelligence officers worked officially in London and that SIS officers worked officially in Moscow, TASS reported. He gave no further details.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)