By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-14 21:45:44 | Updated at 2026-09-14 22:56:27
1 hour ago
A Nato commander's relationship with a woman he met on Tinder has triggered a security alert at a British military base amid fears she was a Russian spy.
The senior Spanish naval officer was dating Janina White, a UK-Polish dual national born in Soviet Russia, who was accused of being a Kremlin agent.
Based at the Allied Maritime Command (Marcom) in Northwood, Hertfordshire, the officer started dating Ms White in late 2024, shortly after he had separated from his wife.
He was later suspended from duty once suspicions were raised.
The married father of two had his access pass revoked after Northwood staff's concerns triggered an investigation, with the base commander barring the Spanish officer from entering the site as inquiries took place.
He was withdrawn from the base in the summer of 2025 and was forced to return to Spain.
Ms White, 49, who lives in Romford in East London, has denied any involvement in espionage and says she was unfairly targeted because of her Russian upbringing.
She is no longer in a relationship with the Spanish officer and no investigation has found evidence of her being a foreign agent.
The Spanish officer no longer works at Northwood, with his posting formally terminated in July 2025
GETTY
She told the Telegraph: "I definitely know I am not a Russian spy. The last time I checked I wasn't."
Ms White claims a Russian intelligence officer questioned her for two hours during a recent trip to St Petersburg to see her sick father.
She said the man, who identified himself as Andrei and claimed to work for Russia's FSB, quizzed her about the security investigation and her relationship with the Nato officer.
She said: "They asked me if I knew anything about [my former partner's] work. I said no. We had a rule at home that he wasn't talking about his work.
Two weeks after meeting, Ms White and the Spanish officer moved in together
GETTY
"I knew he was dealing with the Russian shadow fleet and submarines. But it was a total prohibition of discussing any details at home about this."
The pair's relationship began in October 2024, shortly after Ms White separated from her ex-husband, a council leader who had previously visited Downing Street.
She moved into the Spanish officer's flat in Ruislip, west London, two weeks after meeting and the couple began planning holidays and discussing having children together.
Concerns were first raised after she attended a Christmas party at Northwood's Warrant Officers' and Senior Rates' mess in December 2024, having been granted a one-day visitor pass.
Court documents show separate Nato and Spanish security investigations were launched during the first half of 2025.
Spanish authorities ultimately suspended the officer's national security clearance, though the UK was not involved in that process.
Northwood's commanding officer revoked his access pass in June 2025 pending the outcome of the investigations.
Despite this, Ms White claims she accompanied him the following day on a trip to Nato's maritime headquarters in Oeiras, Portugal.
She insisted she never accessed secure areas of the base, spending her time by the pool while he attended meetings.
"I spent two days at probably the most secure Nato base in Europe," she said, adding that she had simply been "bored".
In July 2025, the Spanish officer's posting to Northwood was formally terminated by Spanish authorities.
The following month, he attempted to re-enter the base with Ms White and a third person, falsely claiming he had lost his access pass.
Security staff refused them entry and while the others left, Ms White initially declined to do so.
She has claimed she was acting as a solicitor at the time, attempting to help collect her former partner's belongings.
Police were called but no arrests were made.
Hertfordshire Police confirmed officers attended an incident at Northwood but made no arrests
MOD
The Spanish officer has said the allegations caused significant damage to his family and career following decades of service.
In an email to a senior British naval commander, he described being subjected to social and professional isolation.
He claimed his children were shunned by peers within the military community as a result of the rumours.
Ms White said her former partner later attempted to take his own life in September 2025, describing him as feeling "betrayed" by the Spanish navy.
She has since launched legal action against the Ministry of Defence, alleging discrimination based on her birthplace, and is seeking a judicial review over being labelled an "adverse security risk".
"The whole state machine treated me like an enemy," she said, adding that she felt like "an invisible woman" throughout the ordeal.
Hertfordshire Police confirmed officers attended an incident at Northwood but made no arrests.
Commander Tim Pietrack, a Marcom spokesman, said: "Marcom does not comment on personnel matters. Nato remains fully committed to protecting allied personnel, safeguarding classified information, and maintaining the trust and security upon which the alliance depends on."
A MoD spokesman said: "It would be inappropriate to comment on matters subject to ongoing legal proceedings."
GB News has approached Nato for comment.
