Russian agents targeted Lord Mandelson for decades and closely monitored relationship with Epstein

Peter Mandelson was a key person of interest to the Russian state and targeted by Moscow during his time as a Labour peer, it has been revealed.

The former British Ambassador to the US, who was sacked due to links to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, had failed security vetting for his appointment to the country's most prized diplomatic position.

Security was aware of Moscow's interest throughout the years, stretching back to before his most recent diplomatic position, according to fresh reports.

The interest began in 2004, when Lord Mandelson became European Commissioner for Trade, according to the Telegraph.

During his vetting process, investigators are understood to have flagged his previous position as a non-executive director at Sistema, which holds shares in defence firm RTI.

Officials noted that RTI manufactured technology "for Russia's land-based missile early-warning system" and characterised Sistema's chairman as a "Putin ally".

The report also emphasised that Lord Mandelson had continued serving on the company's board until June 2017, years after Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014.

Additional red flags emerged regarding his consultancy Global Counsel, with checks identifying business ties to both Russia and China.

Lord Mandelson's association with Oleg Deripaska, formerly Russia's wealthiest oligarch, has been publicly documented since at least 2008 during his tenure as EU trade commissioner.

Critics have pointed to this long-standing friendship, suggesting that Sir Tony Blair's and Gordon Brown's Labour Governments were likely aware of his Russian connections.

The Epstein files also revealed that Global Counsel pursued commercial opportunities with Rusnano, a technology investment fund under Russian state control.

Russian intelligence operatives are also understood to have kept close watch on Lord Mandelson's involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in a New York prison cell in 2019, awaiting trial on trafficking charges.

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The Prime Minister has maintained he had no knowledge that the former ambassador had failed his security clearance.

Lord Mandelson's dismissal from the Washington posting came after revelations that he had urged Epstein to contest his early release following a previous conviction for soliciting a minor.

Intelligence sources from both the US and the UK have suggested that, while Epstein was probably not a Russian operative himself, he served as a valuable asset to foreign intelligence agencies through his extensive network of contacts.

Sir Keir Starmer will be fighting to save his job as he faces the House of Commons today amid mounting pressure over the vetting controversy surrounding Lord Mandelson's appointment.

In what Kemi Badenoch has branded a "shaming affair", the Prime Minister will face allegations he misled Parliament after telling MPs the proper process had been followed in appointing the Labour grandee as ambassador to the US.

"Keir Starmer is either grossly incompetent or a liar," Robert Jenrick said last night, adding his Government was "paralysed by a paedophile scandal".

The Foreign Office's top official, Sir Olly Robbins, was sacked last week after it emerged Lord Mandelson had been given developed vetting status despite failing security checks.

It also emerged that Sir Keir was told about the the warning signs which made the former peer fail his security checks - then "waved them away".

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