Britain has opened again channels with a Russian intelligence company in a bid to offset actions by an more and more unpredictable Vladimir Putin.

Intelligence sources say the hotline was established two months in the past between MI6 officers and a “small group” of counterparts connected to Russia’s SVR international intelligence service who share issues in regards to the Russian premier’s volatility.

The Russian officers should not spies, and the hotline just isn't being employed on a every day and even weekly foundation, the sources added final night time.

Rather, the goal is just to present as a lot advance discover of any unorthodox actions aimed on the UK and Nato territories - together with however not restricted to the deploying of nuclear weapons.

Under the phrases of the deal, solely after a choice has been taken will Russian officers make contact.

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Such is the Russian forms concerned, nevertheless, that it might take so long as 24 hours earlier than an order to fireplace nuclear-tipped missiles in a "first strike" state of affairs is definitely carried out, probably giving time for motion to be taken.

The hotline has quite a few security methods with code phrases for people to make sure it's not compromised and has, sources say, "already been tested to the satisfaction of all parties.”

It is not the first time since 2015 that unorthodox connections of this type have been forged with Russia.

In January last year a separate hotline was established between MI6 - properly known as the Secret Intelligence Service - and senior Russian army officers when it was becoming clear that armoured Russian forces surrounding Ukraine may cross its border.

Like the small SVR group, that officer represented a faction of Army officers who were concerned about Putin’s plans.

“It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that such a line of communication should have been established - this sort of mechanism is why we have intelligence officers in embassies, whose role is to establish both official or unsanctioned relationships,” said former senior army intelligence officer Philip Ingram.

“These relationships are built up over years. They are semi-official. It isn’t the same as running agents. These aren’t spies. These are more informal liaisons, built around areas where mutual interests meet.

“In this case, this is about being able to give early warning should Russia go mad and there is a need to influence things without going through normal channels.”

News of the hotline emerges at a time of heightening paranoia for the Kremlin.

Last week it was revealed that three scientists working on Russia’s cutting edge hypersonic missiles programmes - Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev - had been arrested and were awaiting trial for high treason.

The threat of Russian nuclear weapons was discussed at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, which was destroyed 78 years ago by a US atomic bomb.

Russia's potential use of nuclear weapons was discussed at the G7 summit in Japan, where leaders of the world's seven richest democracies - including nuclear-armed Britain, France and the US - expressed their "dedication to attaining a world with out nuclear weapons" through a "sensible, pragmatic, and accountable method”.

Meeting in Hiroshima, which a destroyed by a US atomic bomb 78 years in the past, the group stated that North Korea should fully abandon its nuclear bomb ambitions, “together with any additional nuclear checks or launches that use ballistic missile expertise."

Attention was also given to Iran, with the group adding: “We reiterate our clear determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon."