MOSCOW

Russia's foreign intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin asserted on Friday that the US, UK, and their allies "are prepared to resort to the most nefarious provocations" to alter the course of global events in their favor.

In an interview with the Russian state news agency RIA, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) expressed particular concern over the shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, alleging that the West "supports and incites" Ukraine to attack the facility.

"I can cite examples when Western intelligence services, primarily British MI6, trained Ukrainian sabotage and intelligence groups, including plans for provocations at Russian Federation nuclear power plants. Today, with the West facing setbacks in Ukraine, the likelihood of various provocations is high," he said.

Naryshkin cautioned that the impact of such actions is short-lived in the modern world, as "any secret information, including lies, quickly becomes public."

The intelligence chief also dismissed NATO's accusations of planning an attack on the alliance, terming them part of an "ongoing information warfare."

"This is indeed an information war waged by the Western bloc against Russia and the populations of its own countries to justify the existing hybrid aggression against Russia," he said.

According to Naryshkin, sociological surveys indicate fatigue among Western populations regarding the war in Ukraine. He claims that people in the West believe in Russia's victory and oppose further financial aid to Kyiv.

"The common technique is employed here -- an attempt to convince the population of the possibility of aggression from the Russian Federation," he explained.

Another goal of such statements, he argued, is to intimidate Russia with the prospect of direct armed conflict with the NATO bloc.

Naryshkin alleged that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is preparing an "interim government" for Russia with the hope of overthrowing the current authorities.

"The Westerners ... almost openly promise us a revolution and the overthrow of a legitimately elected government. They will fail in implementing their promises," he said.

The intelligence chief expressed regret over some Russian citizens ruining their lives by committing crimes so that "some Western officials could report on the results of their work."

In the context of global challenges, including the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, Naryshkin highlighted that dialogue between the CIA and SVR is "beneficial."

"At a time when the international situation is reaching a dangerous line, this dialogue can prevent dangerous events," he stressed.