Nato officer suspended after Tinder romance with Russian-born woman sparks spying fears at UK base | World News
A Spanish naval commander was removed from his NATO post in the UK and had his national security clearance suspended after authorities raised concerns about his relationship with a woman he met on Tinder suspected of spying for Russia, The Telegraph reported.The unnamed officer was serving at Allied Maritime Command (Marcom) at Northwood HQ in Hertfordshire when he began a relationship with US-Polish dual national Janina White in October 2024.NATO and Spanish authorities opened security investigations into the relationship during the first half of 2025. The officer’s national security clearance was subsequently suspended by Spain, according to court documents seen by The Telegraph.He was later barred from the Marcom base and sent back to Spain in summer 2025.White, 49, was born in the Soviet Union and moved to the UK as a teenager. She now lives in Romford, south-east London, and has denied any connection to Russian intelligence.“I definitely know I am not a Russian spy. The last time I checked I wasn’t,” she told The Telegraph.White was never arrested and said no investigation had produced evidence that she was a foreign agent. She is now seeking a judicial review over why intelligence officials identified her as a security risk.She has also brought a discrimination case against the Ministry of Defence, alleging that she was treated differently because of her Russian heritage.The couple attempted to enter the Northwood base in August but were refused entry. Police were called and they left without being arrested or detained.The commander, a married father of two who had separated from his wife shortly before beginning his relationship with White, said he had faced “a gradual and calculated process of social and professional isolation”.In an email to a colleague, he said his family had suffered a “psychological toll” and had been “progressively excluded from social interactions”.White and the commander are no longer in a relationship.Cdr Tim Pietrack, a Marcom spokesman, said: “Marcom does not comment on personnel matters. Nato remains fully committed to protecting allied personnel, safeguarding classified information, and maintaining the trust and security upon which the alliance depends.”An MoD spokesman said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on matters subject to ongoing legal proceedings.”
