Liz Truss' phone hacked by suspected Putin agents when she was British FM, says report

LONDON - Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss' personal phone was hacked by suspected agents working for Russian President Vladimir Putin when she was foreign minister, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday (Oct 29).

Those agents gained access to "top-secret details" of negotiations with international allies in addition to private messages exchanged with Truss' close friend Kwasi Kwarteng, who later became finance minister, the report said.

The messages are believed to have included discussions with senior international foreign ministers about the war in Ukraine, including details about arms shipments, it added.

Up to a year's worth of messages were downloaded, the Mail said, citing unnamed sources.

A British government spokesman declined to comment on "individuals' security arrangements".

"The Government has robust systems in place to protect against cyber threats. That includes regular security briefings for Ministers, and advice on protecting their personal data and mitigating cyber threats," the spokesman added.

The hack was discovered during the Conservative Party leadership campaign that led to Ms Truss becoming prime minister, the Mail reported.

Ms Truss left office last week as prime minister and was succeeded by Mr Rishi Sunak.

The Mail said the messages that fell into foreign hands included criticisms of former prime minister Boris Johnson made by Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng, "leading to a potential risk of blackmail". 

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