The key facts
- Lord Ricketts called for increasing the defence budget and strengthening the resilience of energy, transport and air traffic control.
- According to him, hybrid attacks are becoming 'more reckless and dangerous', and people could be killed.
- MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum previously said that threats from Russia and Iran have quadrupled over a decade.
Warning from former national security adviser
Former UK national security adviser Lord Ricketts said on BBC Radio 4 that the government needs to do more to protect critical infrastructure from Russia's 'hybrid attacks'. In his view, defence spending should be increased, and the resilience of energy, transport and air traffic control systems should be improved. He added that ministers should warn Britons about possible threats.
'People could be killed'
Ricketts stressed that he is not predicting 'industrial-scale war with tanks on the North German Plain', but hybrid attacks are becoming 'more reckless, more dangerous', and 'somewhere, people will eventually be killed'. He noted that Putin is trying to undermine morale not only in Ukraine but also in European countries. Hybrid attacks typically use non-military methods — hacking, sabotage and the spread of disinformation. Moscow is suspected of many such attacks in Europe since the start of the war in Ukraine, but it has always denied involvement.
Context: MI5 chief's speech and the US position
The statement came after MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum said in his annual speech this week that threats from foreign states, including Russia and Iran, have quadrupled over the past decade. Ricketts's warning also followed US President Donald Trump blocking sanctions against Russia; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the decision 'only encourages him [Putin] to continue the attacks'. Ricketts believes Britain should focus on the 'coalition of the willing' rather than trying to be a bridge between Zelensky and Trump: 'I don't think, with Trump in his current mood, Britain can have any influence in the short term.'
Warnings from European leaders
A growing number of European leaders warn that Russia may be preparing attacks to test their readiness to support Ukraine. Last month, Germany said Russia was responsible for a drone attack on Leipzig airport, where an explosive device failed to detonate near Ukrainian cargo aircraft. In September, French President Emmanuel Macron warned of an increasing threat of Russian hybrid attacks against Europe and France.
Image source, Getty Images
