British soldier serving on NATO’s frontline with Russia blackmailed by hackers who stole naked photos from his phone during mission to Estonia

A British soldier deployed to Estonia was blackmailed after hackers found nude photos on his phone, following his decision to ignore an order to remove its SIM card. The case matters because British troops in Estonia face surveillance risks from Russian intelligence services and are required to follow strict device security rules.

Corporal Daniel Barton-Kennedy, 28, of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, paid £100 before the hackers demanded another £250; their possible links to the Kremlin have not been confirmed. He pleaded guilty to disobeying a lawful order and was sentenced to ten months in military detention, as well as demotion to lance corporal. The court said the offence was aggravated by the security threat in Estonia and his responsibility as a corporal.