Russia spy chief says foreigners plotting uprisings [View All]

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow's spy chief said on Thursday foreign intelligence services were planning uprisings on the lines of Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" to further undermine Russian influence in the former Soviet Union.

Federal Security Service (FSB) head Nikolai Patrushev's comments reflected Russian distrust for the new pro-Western leaders of Ukraine and Georgia. He said foreign spies were using non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as a front.

Russia had uncovered U.S., British, Kuwaiti and Saudi spies trying to weaken Russia, he said.

"Foreign secret services are ever more actively using non-traditional methods for their work and with the help of different NGOs' educational programmes are propagandising their interests, particularly in the former Soviet Union," he told deputies of the State Duma lower house of parliament.