Operation Foot | The British MI5 takedown of the Soviet KGB in Britain - 1971

Operation Foot - took place in the UK against the Soviet KGB during 1971 at the height of The Cold War, and remains to this day the greatest counter espionage operation in history.
The result of Operation Foot was, after the work of 100s of MI5 intelligence officers, that 105 Soviet Diplomats were expelled from the UK, and 100s of Soviet citizens' work visa revoked and deported. Several people both British and foreign were awarded long prison sentences for spying.
The operation marked a major turning point in Cold War counter-espionage operations in Britain; and made Britain a hard espionage target for Soviet intelligence for the remainder of the Cold War.
In this MI5 and KGB Documentary, we examine how after a decade of British political weakness during the 1960s had allowed Soviet KGB espionage to infiltrate many elements of the British Military, Government and Political establishment.
The election of a hawkish Prime Minister - Sir Edward Heath, in June 1970 saw a sea change in British Government attitudes to Soviet espionage activities within the UK.
The British were pressured by their allies The United States of America to get their 'house in order' as the US was reluctant to share to Top Secret Intelligence under the Five Eyes agreement for fear it would be leaked to the Soviets.
So the British Secret Services (MI5) were unleashed with a brief to eradicate all KBG spies within the British Isles with 12 months by all means necessary, and MI5 Intelligence Officers set about infiltrating the Soviet Embassy and Soviet Trade Delegation in London.
The Operation Foot story includes a 'playboy' KGB Officer, Oleg Lyalin who was sleeping with his boss' wife; who when confronted by MI5 became a double agent and ultimately a Soviet defector; but who then brought the whole operation crashing down after a drunken incident in London.
A henpecked Royal Navy Officer David Bingham, a submarine sonar expert, bullied into spying for the Soviets by his spendthrift and domineering wife Maureen.
And a high level British Spy, Geoffrey Prime, based in GCHQ the British Government's Signals Intelligence (SIG-INT) agency. Prime harboured a much, much darker secrets than being a spy, that would cause his ultimate downfall and see him jailed for 38 years.
The story finishes with an update on the lives of all the 'players' of Op Foot today; after the collapse of The Soviet Union and how a young KGB Officer who joined the KGB during the Op Foot era - Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin - is now the high profile President of the Russian Federation.
The events of the obscure Op Foot were the inspiration for two classic spy novels: 'Tinker, Tailor Solder Spy' by John Le Carre. And 'The Fourth Protocol' by Frederick Forsyth, both made into Hollywood Movies in recent years.
CHAPTERS:
00:12 The Political Background
09:29 The KGB in the UK 1960 - 197-0
17:24 The KGB Playboy
20:31 David Bingham - The Henpecked Royal Navy Officer
25:56 Oleg Lyalin goes for a quiet drink
29:33 Operation Foot - The Take down
34:40 Geoffrey Prime - The Spy who got away
39:46 Epilogue / Update on personalities
#coldwar #sovietunion #spy #topsecret #putin #russia #MI5

[@trevr10]

Reminded me of our time serving in Cyprus in the late 80's with the out of bounds Aeroflot hotel between Larnaca and Dhekelia and the strict warning that all Aeroflot stewardesses were KGB. Interesting video.

[@a.p.3004]

The Palm Beach Hotel. You missed those Russian beauties.

[@grahamstubbs4962]

@@a.p.3004 They went like barn doors in a high wind.

[@cyclesgoff9768]

Nah , they weren’t all KGB or GRU or whatever. Although by the mere fact that they were allowed on overseas trips meant the girls game from exceptionally well connected families at least from the номенклату́ра.

[@TeddyBear-ii4yc]

@@cyclesgoff9768 The British double-agent, George Blake, was helped to escape prison and travel into Europe by a British criminal. Once in Russia, the daughter of a KGB officer lived with the escaped prisoner while he lived there.

[@1Hannigan1]

​@@TeddyBear-ii4yc As long as the lady KGB agent was sexy, that's a big step up for Blake , coming from a British jail or prison.

[@almac2598]

When I started an Avionic apprenticeship in the early 70s a lot of my instructors were ex Concorde. They were quite open about how they knew who the spies were and how the official policy was to ignore anything that was generally known but to feed them false information on more secret things.

[@mikefellows3901]

This is a masterpiece ! Probably the UK's greatest success since the double cross operation of WW2. The information and narrative here is exceptional ! Many thanks Andy !!!

[@merlinonline67]

During the Cold War, there was a Soviet Tractor importer called UMO which was based in the Belarus SSR. They had an import office along Blackhorse Road, Letchworth, Hertfordshire and this was used as a base for agents of the KGB. and GRU posing as sales agents. because of the spying activity, the local police station had a Special Branch office until the end of the Cold War.

[@AsteroidM749A]

I need to know more about this!! I think I remember a rumour about this - the one opposite the tip? Are you from Letchworth pal?

[@flimsedom]

This is the kind of quality I miss about present day documentaries. Thank you for your great work! Kind regards from Potsdam.

[@RalphBrooker-gn9iv]

Remarkable, compelling story. I served in the British Army for 12 years and was lucky enough to get posted to West Berlin at part of the Berlin Infantry Brigade, 1986-87. A strange quirk of the times was that you could take the U-Bahn from a station in the West and end up at Friedrichstraße just inside the Eastern sector near Checkpoint Charlie. I did it once. Fell asleep drunk on the U-Bahn. We could also enter legally in uniform (No.2 Dress) after considerable paperwork and as a planned regimental activity.

[@norbertschmitz3358]

I was a West German student in West Berlin during the seventies. Once a week we would stop at Friedrichstrasse station to by cheap duty free cigarettes and alcohol. During 250 trips i got busted 6 or 7 times by West German customs. Still, saved 1000's in duty. Visiting East Berlin was no problem. Any further and one was asking for big trouble.

[@NotMarkKnopfler]

This is TV quality content. My humble compliments to you.

[@AndyMcloone]

Wow, thank you!

[@jimmyyates3510]

Beyond tv! Setting the bar at the bbc is a low bar indeed lol

[@mistercutts]

Absolutely spot on with this comment.

[@nunyab8003]

Bravo! An HBO special or something like that, that’s for sure.

[@flyingcod14]

Great video never knew about this. 👍

[@aston-martin-internationalist]

Fantastic research and presentation Andy as always and actually answers a few minor questions I hadn't yet considered from one of my favourite Cold War era espionage films, The Fourth Protocol.

[@juanleahy2202]

To further add that the details you gave with this video were very much appreciated, especially for me who as then young man lived through those times in the UK. Thankyou again.

[@silvanski]

Growing up during the Cold War I appreciate quality documentaries like this. Excellent content sir.

[@dezzadiggler3693]

I don't know how I stumbled across this gem of a documentary; but it fascinated me from beginning to end. Liked and subscribed!

[@dmacpher]

Earned a new subscriber! Just getting started, but it looks like you’ve accumulated some amazing historic footage and imagery to support this story! Amazing work!

[@AndyMcloone]

Awesome, thank you!

[@dmacpher]

@@AndyMcloone Loved the flourish at the end!

[@vincenzochieppa689]

Extremely interesting and well-done. I am not from UK but a fan of LeCarrè and this story is really fascinating. Thank you!

[@LMB222]

Among Aeroflot employees, 100% were KGB and GRU operatives.

[@tomharling]

Another brilliant episode. You produce the best cold war documentaries available in my opinion. Thanks.

[@AndyMcloone]

Thanks

[@Lee-73]

Brilliant watch as always 👌🏻

[@HarryWHill-GA]

Bravo Zulu (Well Done). This take down, as it related to the US Navy, was mentioned in the Intel Advanced course. I did a little work with GCHQ late in my career. I always thought our cousins at GCHQ were a very professional bunch.

[@leebrannan8588]

As soon as this vid ended the ads tried directing me too a dating / marriage site for Slavic ladies 😂😂 true

[@stephengrahn9361]

As an American I would gladly marry a Brit to get a pass to live in the UK you know eastern European's would do a heck of a lot to get there.

[@johnlane5874]

Thanks Andy, another superbly made and fascinating tale from the cold war, my favourite history era.

[@peterreston6478]

And the Great Game continues. Good job. Thanks for your through and informative presentation.

[@nickymadison6108]

Been hooked on all your Cold War videos! I was born just before the fall of the Soviet Union so I find all of this fascinating. You got yourself another subscriber

[@steve45]

This was fantastic!!! Thoroughly interesting. Its a subject that has intrigued me for most of my life. Very professionally presented and produced.👌

[@UNUSUALUSERNAME220]

So, you can become a Probation Officer in The UK even after being convicted of espionage and serving 21 years in prison? I did not know that! This was so good! I've seen several programs like these on BBC and this puts them to shame. I would much rather have photos of the actual people with an intelligent presenter telling me the who & what. I despise all the actor portrayals, they are always so bad! Anyway, great job mate! Cheers!

[@christycullen2355]

I've been waiting for this since you said you were dropping a longer video. The wait was worth it. Your content is epic, and you have a great narration voice. Thank you Andy.

[@geoffmilner]

Very nicely researched and clearly explained with background summarising to set the scene and with elevant images and video. Usually when I watch a documentary I pause to research the extra detail or general understanding, often with the 'where are they now' question. This is the first time I felt that everything and more that I would want to know was included already. Well done for that.

[@AndyMcloone]

Thank you very much!

[@antoinesilva1527]

@@AndyMcloone Was this the inspiration behind Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’s settings?

[@timp3931]

A well presented video of a fascinating era in the UK. Clothing is "hung", people are "hanged".

[@almac2598]

I'm convinced Wilson had his strings pulled by Moscow from the word go.

[@NorwayT]

"Yeah, I'm talking about you, Joe Biden!" LOL 😂 👍 Jokularities aside, this is one of the BEST Documentaries EVER made! And you deserve extra points for not cra***g on Senator McCarthy! I'm really impressed by he detailed and compact form you have managed to produce here, Andy Mcloone. And the pictures and illustrations are simply amazing. Well done! Well done, indeed! 👍 I fear that Russia is the least of the major problems we are facing today. Communist China seems to outperform the KGB by an order of magnitude.

[@AlsGeekLab]

Excellent work Andy. Consistently high quality documentary content, well done

[@glennmorrissey5309]

Another great commentary Andy on an extraordinary epoch of spying and espionage. I learned so much! Thank you!

[@wochee]

Great video, and a lot of hard work behind it. Thank you.

[@jveggen28]

Excellent production and topic, Andy! Just finished reading "Spycatcher" for the 3rd time in 20 years so the material is quite familiar, but super interesting to see it the way you present it! Have seen all of your video's, keep up the good work!

[@AndyMcloone]

'Spycatcher ' was one of my references when researching this story!

[@EdgyNumber1]

​​@@AndyMclooneAndy, I hope to see your take on this. Peter Wright at the time had his suspicions about Roger Hollis but later on one of the other ones confessed (can't remember who.) But was this officer coerced/sacrificed to hide the embarrassment that the actual head of MI-5 Hollis was the real mole?....

[@danielmarshall4587]

Smashing, thank you for this very good video AND your time and effort putting it together.

[@leocoghini6834]

Thanks for another great video Andy. Had to watch it for a second time! The amount of care and detail that goes into your videos is greatly appreciated. Cant wait for the next one...ill be waiting eagerly from down here in New Zealand. Godspeed.

[@noodlyappendage6729]

Thank you mate! Great doc. Put a lot of hard work and it was appreciated 💪👍

[@tombrunila2695]

At about 7:10, the KGB was NEVER disbanded! Boris Yeltsin only changed its name! The First Chief Directorate became the SVR and the Second Chief Directorate became the FSB. Nothing in its personnel and tasks was changed.

[@rosalindmallory6570]

Fascinating history. Thank you for making this video available.

[@hunty1970]

Really enjoyed this and all of your other Cold War documentaries. Thank you Andy.

[@petebondurant58]

Very well done, Sir! I especially appreciate the postscript. Thank you for sharing this story. 🇬🇧

[@peterfriedenspfeife9230]

Great video, beautifully narrated, thank you very much

[@uingaeoc3905]

It is noticeable that Wilson said he thought that he would scrap the UK Nuke deterrent. Yet this was initiated by Attlee. In fact Wilson not only continued the UK Polaris system through the late 1960s but when he returned to office in 1974 he initiated the development of the improvement of it under the CHEVALINE programme which gave it multiple warheads. Under thatcher this was continued and when Blair entered office in 1997 he gave the go ahead to the trident replacement.

[@neilclements3929]

Fantastic, a thorough and captivating tale told at the right pace and with appropriate music and pics. A lot of hard work which puts this at the premiership of KZbin documentaries

[@AndyMcloone]

Many thanks!

[@user-rv4pc5lp5x]

Great work again! Love your Cold War stuff! Thanks very much.

[@johntait491]

A well compiled and produced video Andy. In 1971, I served on that Royal Navy Polaris submarine shown at 9:49. 😉

[@joonatanalismaki8150]

You live, you learn. This fella was new to me. And this channel, I thank thee. Just love espionage history.

[@jaysonsladen9756]

Fantastic, as always. Thanks you for producing these marvellous presentations

[@davelenthall1]

Fantastic content and detail. Thanks for posting Andy

[@andyvits1]

Great content, a really fascinating watch. Keep up the impressive work 👍🏻👌🏻🇬🇧

[@oscarvi3232]

Have been a big fan of Le Carre & Deighton for decades. Great video and thanks for posting.

[@Closedgroove]

Great content! Already looking forward to the next one.😎👍

[@crocodiledundee8685]

Thanks for this fantastic documentary. Will definitely be sharing this.

[@AndyMcloone]

Awesome, thank you!

[@rglon4019]

Awesome documentary! Already look forward to seeing more content like this 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@cannondale514]

Thoroughly well-researched as usual.

[@paulwright3827]

Excellent video. Well done Andy. I really really enjoyed this. 10/10

[@wayinfront1]

Very good account. By the way, Sir Alec Douglas Home's name: Home is pronounced 'Hume.'

[@cannybearsed]

Great documentary, mate. Love the channel. Great work. Thank you. 👍🏻

[@keithrogers4170]

By 1970,the UK had been deluged with soviet agents because of nearly 20 years of ineptitude and betrayal within Mi5. The primary reason for this huge soviet espionage success was that there was a soviet GRU mole in the upper echelons of Mi5-Sir Roger Hollis,Deputy Director-General from 1953-56 and Director general from 1956-1965. He was forewarning the soviet of surveillance operations against their agents,which is why so many operations collapsed.

[@bensmith5413]

Fantastic video and production. Very well made

[@joereedsmith1531]

Very well put together as good as if not better than what TV would make of this story.

[@nicc5122]

More of this please, absolutely fascinating, particularly like the "what happened to" at the end always fascinated on the current status of those historical players.

[@DICECLUB]

What a fascinating story - thanks for telling it, Andy 👍

[@Retirement_Life]

Absolutely brilliantly video, Andy! More of the same, please…

[@LurchLures]

Fantastic Documentary. Much appreciated. Made my day watching this. Thanks !

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

Absolutely fascinating. I guess most of the spying is done by keyboard these day. Thanks for the excellent video. Cheers mate, Stuart 🇦🇺

[@lukec31]

Superb Sir!!! You’ve gained another subscriber now! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@theslybynight]

This is amazing. So glad I found your channel.

[@holgerandersengrn3457]

Again an outstanding video by Andy, exciting and very informative. I don't think it can be done better and if it had been on national TV it would have had great viewing figures. Looking forward to the next masterpiece from Andy's hand. The Europeans have always been incredibly naive and to paraphrase Winston Churchill's words "You can not reason with a tiger when your head is in his mouth." to "You can not reason with a bear", or as Stalin said they gave the Rolls Royce Nene jet mortor to the Soviets "how stupid can you be" that gift was responsible for the lives of many allied pilots. That nativity is also seen in Russia today, just look Angela Merkel and now Hungary and Slovakia are moving in the same direction

[@geoffmilner]

Russia of today isn't the same as the Soviet Union. The communism of the past is no more, however if you peel back the veneer, it is the West that has is stripping away free speech, controlling the narratives, locking people up without charge, taking children away using the family courts, cancelling people for thought crimes, debanking, having pretend democracies and so on. There is an Orwellian system of dishonesty and garbage progressive anti family, anti white, anti Judeo Christian values etc. Slovakia and Hungary are right to want to be allies with Russia as they also have sensible and frankly, better values and culture now.

[@Redfvvg]

Do you rule out that Hungary and Slovakia have suddenly sobered up?

[@RebelRebelious]

Very interesting. I remember the Bingham case being all over the news as a youngster but it meant nothing to a young boy more interested in football. I now live around 2km from Putin's former KGB HQ in Dresden. An attractive villa located just around the corner from the former Stasi HQ & remand centre, it now functions as a clinic for alternative medicine. During the 1989 uprising, crowds gathered outside the KGB HQ threatening to overrun it. As the story is recalled, Putin bricked it and attempted to call in the tanks. A senior officer refused his request stating he could "only authorise it with permission from Moscow, and Moscow is silent"....

[@briangooderham5649]

wow brilliant stuff subscribed for sure well done mate

[@doktortutankamazon31]

Excellent program !

[@EuropeanMedia]

Brilliant video - very informative and extremely well made!

[@thomasvandevelde8157]

Wauw. This was some good stuff mate! Going to watch some more videos of yours. Regards, Thomas

[@kevkeary4700]

Thank you for that ! Absolutely gripping stuff 👍👍👍

[@brianelliott9861]

Totally fascinating and brilliantly researched.

[@wtfbuddy1]

Great video Andy - well researched and presented, times have changed and we are once again wary of the Bear from the East. Cheers and stay safe

[@Snootyboss]

A very informative and entertaining upload. I'd very much enjoy more of the same. Keep 'em coming

[@Archangelm127]

I knew about Philby and Burgess and all that, but I'd never heard of all this. Thank you! You've earned a sub. ❤

[@mikebillett7935]

Another top notch documentary Andy... Thank you

[@AndyMcloone]

Many thanks!

[@MG_007]

A brilliant piece put together, very interesting, there's plenty more stories like this involving our services protecting us...more please my friend.🙏👍

[@Selous_Scout]

Great video as always Andy

[@user-mv4os1tn4v]

thank you so much for the documentary.

[@stevenblack7928]

Very interesting video again, thank you Andy

[@mikeoftheclandobson5483]

Excellent video!! Many thanks

[@RS-xo7rd]

Really interesting! Thank you so much.

[@wtfroflffs]

Great video. I had never heard of Operation Foot. Nice to know Britain did have some successes during the Cold War.

[@marcellocolona4980]

Great channel, high quality videos. I subscribed.

[@cbroz7492]

...I remember the John Profumo/Mandy Rice-Davies scandal..

[@Mishima505]

The David Bingham case provided the plot for an episode of the TV series Warship (Funny, They All Say That) where a PO whose wife has run up debts is blackmailed into supplying details of a new submarine detection system to the Soviets.

[@COIcultist]

Warship created by Lt Cdr Ian Mackintosh, an excellent series. It has been reposted on YT. If you haven't see it may I recommend The Sandbaggers, another Mackintosh series, brought to a close by his untimely death.

[@StuBobsGhost]

Another great video. Thanks.

[@hanleypc]

Top Quality content, thank you!

[@factnotfiction5067]

Very enjoyable. Simply explained and to the point.

[@roycameron8270]

Thank you Mr Mcloone, the story was very well told and illustrated.

[@jamesgpevans9421]

Loved this documentary, beautifully narrated, powerful stuff.

[@bertspeggly4428]

Good video! I will subscribe. I often drove by that house on Camden Road, no idea it was a safe house (obviously)

[@homahak]

Highly watchable high quality telling of a deeply interesting story. I was 14 at the time but of course only the tiniest details emerged then. May I congratulate you on your tight, thoughtful and well paced narration? Thank you.

[@HMSConqueror]

A very compelling story. Excellent work. Thanks for the video

[@jon-paulgrainger1303]

Great documentary fully enjoyed. Thank you.

[@seanmcerlean]

Very impressive research for this one Andy. I was a young lad in thise & had no idea about any of these shanaigans.

[@phil9678]

Quality bit of journalistic research. And very well edited and presented

[@gadgetgus]

Hey Andy 👊 A very clear, concise, and informative docu-film 👌 Similar to the case, of rounding up German spies before a World 🌎 War... Thanks for sharing, Atb Gus 👍

[@miles-thesleeper-monroe8466]

Great presentation fascinating 👍