According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, the unnamed Spanish naval officer met 49-year-old Janina White through the dating application Tinder in late 2024.
The officer, who was serving at the NATO Allied Naval Command at Northwood Headquarters in Hertfordshire, England at the time, began having a relationship with White after his separation from his wife.
White's relationship with the officer, the father of two, quickly became serious. The couple moved into the two-bedroom house in Ruislip, west London, together about two weeks after they met. The couple opened a joint bank account, made holiday plans and even considered having children. However, the relationship, which started romantically, soon entered NATO's security radar.
Northwood Headquarters is one of the critical centers where the activities of Russian submarines and warships in British waters are monitored. The command also monitors the activities of "shadow fleet" tankers, which Russia allegedly uses to circumvent sanctions.
In the first half of 2025, security concerns were raised about the Spanish officer due to his relationship with White. While NATO and Spanish authorities launched independent security investigations, the Spanish authorities suspended the officer's national security authorization.
The commander of Northwood base also canceled the officer's base pass after being notified of the investigation on June 19, 2025. The Spanish officer's duty in NATO was terminated on July 29, 2025, and the officer then returned to Spain.
One of the events highlighted by the investigation was White's attendance at a Christmas party in Northwood on December 12, 2024. The Spanish officer issued a one-day escorted visitor pass for White, according to court documents.
White attended the event held at the officer and noncommissioned officer social facility in Northwood. He later explained that he went to the NATO naval headquarters in Oeiras, Portugal, with his former partner. White maintained that he never entered secure areas.
"I was just drinking coffee and tea by the pool. I never accessed the secret facilities," White said, adding that he stayed at the base for two days.
White also claimed that they did not discuss his ex-partner's work in detail at home. As far as he knew, the officer was working on Russia's "shadow fleet" and submarines.
According to court documents, the couple's Northwood adventure didn't end there. The Spanish officer, White, and a third person attempted to enter the Northwood base again on August 26, 2025. It was stated that despite the previously suspended entry card, the officer said that he had lost his card and requested a visitor card for the group.
However, security guards did not allow the three people to enter the base. Police were called after White refused to leave the area, but no arrests were made in the incident.
White argued that he was legally representing his ex-partner at the time and that they had only gone to the base to retrieve some personal items.
One of the most striking allegations in the file was an incident that White said he experienced in Russia. He went to St. Petersburg to visit his sick father. Explaining that he went to St. Petersburg, White claimed that a person named "Andrei", who he stated was from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), interrogated him for about two hours in a cafe.
According to White, the Russian officer asked questions about his ex-girlfriend's duty in NATO, the security investigation against her and how the relationship began. White, on the other hand, argued that he did not have detailed information about his ex-partner's business.
Stating that he was placed at the center of suspicion because he was born in Russia, White denied all the accusations against him.
"I know for sure that I am not a Russian spy," White said, emphasizing that he was never detained or arrested on espionage charges. He stated that the investigations against him did not lead to the conclusion that he was an agent on behalf of Russia.
White also filed a discrimination lawsuit against the UK Ministry of Defence, challenging the "adverse security risk" assessment made about him.
"The entire state mechanism treated me as if I were an enemy. I want to know why and by whom this decision was made," White said, arguing that he was discriminated against because he was born in Russia.
It was stated that the investigation deeply affected not only White's life, but also the Spanish officer's career and family.
In his e-mail to Vice Admiral Mike Utley of the British Navy, the Spanish officer claimed that he was subjected to "systematic social and professional isolation" after his 35-year military career.
Claiming that his colleagues excluded him and that even his children were alienated from the social environment by the children of other military families, the officer argued that he was treated like "not a colleague, but an unwanted stranger."
NATO Allied Maritime Command Spokesperson Tim Pietrack stated that they do not comment on personal personnel matters due to the ongoing process. Pietrack said NATO remains committed to the protection of allied personnel, the security of classified information and the maintenance of trust within the alliance.
The UK Ministry of Defense also announced that it would not be appropriate to comment on the issue due to ongoing legal processes. Hertfordshire Police confirmed that teams were called to the area due to the incident in Northwood, but no arrests were made.
