The newly appointed MI6 chief, Blaise Metreweli, is making headlines not only for becoming the agency's first female leader but also due to shocking revelations about her ancestry.
According to a Daily Mail report, Metreweli's grandfather, Constantine Dobrowolski, was a notorious Nazi collaborator during World War II. Archival German records reveal that he infiltrated the Red Army as a spy and was known to Wehrmacht commanders as "Agent No. 30" and chillingly, "The Butcher," for allegedly boasting about killing Jews.
According to the BBC, MI6 has distanced itself from the past of its incoming chief, Blaise Metreweli, following reports about her grandfather's Nazi links. Historical records identify her grandfather as Constantine Dobrowolski, a former Red Army defector who became the Nazis' lead informant in Chernihiv, Ukraine.
However, the Foreign Office, speaking on behalf of MI6, clarified that Metreweli had no knowledge of or contact with her paternal grandfather.
A spokesperson stated, "Blaise's family history, marked by conflict and division, common among those with Eastern European roots, is only partly known. It is this very complexity that fuels her dedication to preventing conflict and defending the UK from today's hostile threats as the next MI6 chief."
Blaise Metreweli, 47, who is currently MI6's head of technology, known as "Q", joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1999, and has spent most of her career in operational roles in the Middle East and Europe, the government said in a statement.
Richard Moore, the current chief of MI6, will step down in the autumn after a five-year tenure.
MI6, founded in 1909, joins the other main British spy agencies, the domestic spy service MI5, and the intelligence communications agency GCHQ, in having appointed a female head.
Metreweli's biggest challenges are likely to be dealing with Russia, China and Iran.
Britain's spy agencies have accused Russia of waging a campaign of sabotage across Europe to scare other countries off from backing Ukraine in its fight against a Russian invasion.
(With inputs from agencies)
