The UK took its “eye off the ball” in relation to Russia’s attempts to meddle in British politics and failed to investigate allegations of a Kremlin-sponsored influence campaign during the Brexit referendum, a long-awaited report says.
![Vladimir Putin wearing a suit and tie: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a teleconference meeting with officials and public representatives of Russia's Dagestan Republic amid the coronavirus pandemic at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on May 18, 2020. (Photo by Alexey NIKOLSKY / Sputnik / AFP) (Photo by ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)]({"default":{"load":"default","w":"80","h":"45","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB14jCoy.img?h=450&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=501&y=291"},"size3column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"35","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB14jCoy.img?h=352&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=501&y=291"},"size2column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"35","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB14jCoy.img?h=352&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=501&y=291"}})
British security services were distracted by the post 9/11 terrorist threat and didn’t give sufficient priority to Russia’s attempts to gain influence in the UK, which Moscow regarded as one of its top intelligence targets, the UK parliament’s cross-party Intelligence and Security Committee said.