A Spanish naval officer served in the Allied Maritime Command of NATO at the Northwood base near London. This center coordinates the alliance's operations at sea and monitors Russian submarines, military ships, and shadow fleet tankers. In the fall of 2024, the military officer met Yanina White on Tinder — a native of the USSR with British and Polish citizenship. The romance developed quickly: soon the couple began living together and opened a joint bank account. In December, the officer invited White to a Christmas event at Northwood, arranging a one-day pass for her. After that, the couple's relationship attracted the attention of security services in Spain and NATO. Additional suspicions, according to media reports, were raised by the woman's interest in shooting and her visits to a shooting range in Essex, England. As a result of the investigation, the officer lost access to classified materials and his base pass. In the summer of 2025, he was removed from the Northwood area and then sent back to Spain. Later, the military and White attempted to return to the base, explaining that they wanted to retrieve personal belongings. The security did not allow them in and called the police, but no arrests were made. Media also reported that after the officer's suspension, the couple visited a NATO facility in Portugal. White claims she did not visit any restricted areas. The officer believes that unverified suspicions destroyed his reputation and overshadowed 35 years of impeccable service. His name and current place of work are not disclosed. White also denies the accusations and insists that she became a victim of bias due to her Soviet background. She was not arrested, no official charges of espionage were brought against her, and no information about the transfer of classified data has been published. Additional questions arose after White's account of a recent trip to St. Petersburg. According to her, a man named Andrei, who introduced himself as an FSB officer, spoke with her for about two hours. He allegedly inquired about her former partner's service, NATO investigations, and their relationship. The woman claims she knew nothing about the officer's work, as they agreed at home not to discuss work-related matters. The couple has since separated, and White is suing the UK Ministry of Defence and NATO, claiming discrimination. Thus, the romance led to the officer losing his clearance and effectively ending his service at Northwood. However, the published materials only indicate suspicions and precautionary measures — White's involvement in Russian intelligence has not been proven.
