Brit ex-cop Mark Bullen in Russia stripped of citizenship over Putin links

Brit ex-cop Mark Bullen in Russia stripped of citizenship over Putin linksMark Bullen, 45, who had a lifelong obsession with Russia, has spent more than a decade living in St Petersburg, where he works in communications for a football team owned by GazpromNewsLiam Doyle12:52, 12 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesMark Bullen, a former policeman, has had his passport revoked on national security grounds(Image: Getty Images)An ex-policeman has become the first British national to be stripped of his citizenship on national security grounds over his links to Russia.‌Russia-obsessed Mark Bullen, 45, who worked for more than a decade at Hertfordshire Constabulary, was stopped at Luton airport in 2024 and questioned on suspicion of being involved in hostile activity on behalf of a foreign state. The cop had long had a fascination with the country, where he now lives, and had his electronic devices seized after flying to the UK from his adopted home.‌He obtained a Russian passport in 2022, achieving what he said was a "lifelong dream", and was deprived of his British documents by Shabana Mahmood in October 2025, a month after she became Home Secretary.‌READ MORE: Chagos Islands deal to be dropped from King's Speech after Donald Trump U-turnREAD MORE: Ukraine claims Putin’s war funds are running out as Orthodox Easter ceasefire failsView 3 ImagesThe ex-copper's passport was revoked by Shabana Mahmood a month after she became Home Secretary(Image: PA)In a post online, Bullen, originally from Bracknell in Berkshire, shared a letter detailing the move made on grounds that to do so is "conductive to the public good". Ms Mahmood also warned that its contents "should not be made public in the interests of national security".Bullen, who denies wrongdoing, met with senior Russian officers during a month-long police exchange trip to St Petersburg, and has stacked his social media profile with pro-Kremlin, anti-Ukraine propaganda. In a recent interview, he jo...