A FORMER KGB double agent, Oleg Gordievsky, who defected from Russia to Britain has died aged 86.
Gordievsky, who was believed to have been one of Britain’s most important spies, was found dead at his home in Surrey.
The Russian official who defected to the UK held the highest rank among spies, and his escape from the Soviet Union involved being smuggled to safety in the boot of a car.
Gordievsky later starred in the BBC series Secrets and Spies: A Nuclear Game, which delved into his incredible life.
His work saw him provide crucial information to the British Secret Intelligence Service from 1974 to 1985.
One significant aspect of the double agent’s espionage work was his role in alerting Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan to the pervasive paranoia displayed by Soviet leaders.
This came during the later stages of the Cold War when the world came fearfully close to all out nuclear war.
Counter-terrorism police are aiding the coroner but Gordievsky’s death is not being treated as suspicious.
The former KGB officer is believed to have died peacefully at his home, according to the BBC.
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