David Smith, a security guard at the British Embassy in Berlin, is accused and charged with passing classified documents to a Russian spy. Smith received a bundle of cash in return for providing reports to a Kremlin agent of counter-terrorism tactics in the event of an attack, details invaluable to enemy agents seeking embassy weaknesses in a city where Russian espionage is rife. Smith may have been blackmailed by Putin agents due to his 'extreme right-wing views'. Germany’s domestic intelligence service said Russian espionage is as active as it was during the Cold War. Questions will be raised about vetting procedures at the British embassy in Berlin, which is seen by Moscow as a prime intelligence target. Smith was hired directly by the embassy - not the Foreign Office in London. This spying case is part of growing attempts by Russian spies to infiltrate Western intelligence operations in recent months.