The Helsinki Brief: Inside Finnish Intelligence and Security

This episode introduces The Helsinki Brief, a podcast mini-series on Finnish intelligence and security. Hosted by Dr Paul McGarr of King’s College London, the discussion features Hannamiina Tanninen, an analyst at Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (SUPO), about the role and structure of civil intelligence in Finland. The discussion covers SUPO’s legal mandate, core functions such as counterterrorism, counterespionage, cyber intelligence and security vetting, and its cooperation with domestic and international partners. The episode also addresses key security threats, including terrorism, cyber activity and state-based intelligence operations, as well as public trust, recruitment and oversight within Finland’s intelligence system.

In this episode, Professor Roddy Brett, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Director of the Global Insecurities Centre at the University of Bristol, joins Dr Nafees Hamid, Co-PI of the XCEPT research programme, to discuss his new book, ‘Victim-Centred Peacemaking: Colombia's Santos-FARC-EP Peace Process’. Professor Brett reveals how the victims’ delegations changed the dynamics of the Santos-FARC-EP peace process, transforming victim-perpetrator relations and ultimately shaping the final agreement, which was signed in 2016. At a time when the number of civilian casualties in armed conflict is rising around the world, the Santos-FARC example offers valuable insights into how to effectively involve victims in peacemaking. Professor Brett’s book is available from Bristol University Press: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/victim-centred-peacemaking This episode has been produced as part of the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) programme, which is funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies. XCEPT aims to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict-affected populations – and to find solutions that support peace. Find out more at www.xcept-research.org

In this episode, Dr Gary Buck, author of A Risk Too Far: A Psychological Autopsy of the Planning for Arnhem, joins Dr Huw Dylan to explore the human factors behind one of WWII’s most daring operations. Drawing on his expertise in operational psychology, Dr Buck reveals how stress, ambition and personality shaped the decisions of commanders like Montgomery, Browning and Urquhart during Operation Market Garden. Through this psychological lens, the episode uncovers how bias, rivalry and pressure influenced Allied command—and how the mind can be as decisive a battlefield as any fought on land or air.

In this episode, Dr Tim Stevens, co-editor of the Research Handbook on Cyberwarfare, explores the evolving realities of cyber warfare and its growing impact on global security. He discusses the challenges of defining cyberwarfare, tracing its development from early military computing to today’s complex cyber operations across a distinct digital battlespace. The conversation examines the key players in cyberwarfare—from states to non-state actors and cybercriminal groups—their motivations, tactics, and the broader consequences of their actions on critical infrastructure and civilian life. Dr Stevens also addresses the difficulties of international regulation in cyberspace and the ethical dilemmas that arise when cyber operations blur the lines between military and civilian targets.

In this episode, Professor Andrew Lambert FKC, Laughton Professor of Naval History, Geoff Browell, Head of Heritage Collections, and Angus Hui, curator of the D-Day Hong Kong, explore the untold story of 24 Chinese naval officers who trained with the Royal Navy during World War II and took part in the D-Day landings. Angus discusses the fascinating discovery of a personal diary from one of these officers, providing a rare, first-hand account of their training, military operations and experiences. The episode also delves into the broader historical context of China’s naval rebuilding efforts during the war, the officers' contributions and their post-war journeys. This conversation sheds light on an important yet often overlooked chapter of naval history and World War II. You can find more information about the exhibition here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/lost-found-in-hong-kong-the-unsung-chinese-heroes-at-d-day

In this episode, Professor Tim Willasey-Wilsey, Visiting Professor at the Department of War Studies, joins Dr Huw Dylan, Reader in Intelligence Studies and International Security, to delve into Tim’s new book, The Spy and the Devil: The Untold Story of the MI6 Agent Who Penetrated Hitler’s Inner Circle. They discuss the remarkable story of Baron William de Ropp—MI6’s key source inside Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Tim shares how de Ropp, a little-known Baltic German aristocrat, became responsible for over 70% of British intelligence reporting on Nazi Germany before World War II. Fluent in four languages and able to move through elite German circles undetected, de Ropp developed close ties with senior Nazis like Alfred Rosenberg—and even secured face time with Adolf Hitler himself. Tim and Huw explore how de Ropp’s intelligence work marked a turning point for MI6, transforming it from a low-level, tactical service into a strategic intelligence agency. They also explore the risks of improvisational espionage, the moral ambiguities of cultivating Nazi contacts, and how the agency learned—often painfully—how to run a new kind of agent.

In this episode, investigative journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan—both Visiting Fellows at the Department of War Studies—join Dr Daniela Richterová, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies, to discuss their new book, Our Dear Friends in Moscow: The Inside Story of a Broken Generation. The book reflects on a generation of young Russians who came of age in the hopeful yet turbulent 1990s. In the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse, many embraced the promise of reform and openness. But economic turmoil, war and terrorism soon reshaped the country, as the state moved steadily toward authoritarianism. Blending personal narrative with political analysis, Andrei and Irina explore how a once close-knit group of friends—united by shared ideals—fractured under the pressure of Putin’s rise. Some aligned with the regime; others, like the authors, chose exile. Drawing on two decades of reporting, they examine the rise of Russia’s security state and the moral decisions that shaped their generation.

In this episode, Dr Tiffany Fairey, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of War Studies, and Dr Pamina Firchow, Associate Professor at Brandeis University, join Professor Rachel Kerr, Professor of War and Society at the Department of War Studies, to delve into their groundbreaking research that uses photography and community-defined indicators to rethink peace from the ground up. To coincide with the large-scale Imaging Peace street exhibition on The Strand and drawing on their work in Colombia, they explore how participatory methods like photovoice and Everyday Peace Indicators empower communities to shape their own visions of peace—challenging traditional research models and transforming peacebuilding practices in the process. Websites: Imaging Peace: https://imagingpeace.org/ Everyday Peace Indicators: https://www.everydaypeaceindicators.org/ Peace Photography: A Guide: https://imagingpeace.org/index.php/peace-photography-guide/ Articles: Photography and everyday peacebuilding. Examining the impact of photographing everyday peace in Colombia: https://bit.ly/43XGE4F Images and indicators: mixing participatory methods to build inclusive rigour: https://bit.ly/4kIMs9i

How did communist Czechoslovakia become a hub for Cold War terrorists like Carlos the Jackal and Abu Daoud? And what can today’s intelligence professionals learn from its uneasy covert alliances? In this episode, Dr Daniela Richterova, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies at the Department of War Studies, joins Dorothea Gioe, Visiting Research Fellow at the King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence, to discuss her new book Watching the Jackals. Drawing on newly declassified archives, she reveals how Czechoslovakia’s State Security Service (StB) navigated its complex, and often contradictory, ties with radical non-state actors—and how those Cold War entanglements still echo in today’s security landscape.

How did Cold War intelligence operations shape postcolonial India’s domestic politics and international alignments? Why did Western agencies prioritise relationships with Indian counterparts while publicly decrying non-alignment? And what can today’s policymakers learn from the legacies of covert cooperation in the Global South? In this episode, Dr Paul McGarr, Lecturer in Intelligence Studies in the Department of War Studies, discusses his latest book Spying in South Asia. He explores the complex, often contradictory intelligence relationships between post-independence India and agencies such as MI5, MI6 and the CIA. From clandestine support to Cold War defections, and from covert propaganda campaigns to today's intelligence partnerships, Dr McGarr traces how secrecy, sovereignty and strategic necessity shaped India’s place in global affairs—and continues to inform the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific today.