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UK must be honest with public about Russian hybrid threat, warns former national security adviser

Peter Ricketts says banking, energy and water supplies could be targeted as MI5 and army chiefs also raise alarm

By LineZotpaper
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Updated
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A former UK national security adviser has warned that ministers need to be honest with the British public about the immediate threat from Russia, which could soon lead to lives being lost from hybrid attacks on critical infrastructure.

Peter Ricketts, who advised David Cameron as prime minister and formerly served as head of the Foreign Office, said banking systems, energy or water supplies could be targeted by Kremlin cyber-assaults. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he called for further investment in resilience for key sectors.

"I think they've really got to start a conversation with the British people about what may be coming, because not only is Putin trying to break morale in Ukraine, he's also trying to undermine morale in European countries," Ricketts said. Asked about the potential impact of disruption, he added: "These hybrid attacks are getting more reckless, more dangerous. One day, people are going to land up being killed somewhere, and so we are going to have to look at responding in that sense and finding the money to do it."

His comments follow warnings this week from MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum and chief of the general staff General Sir Roly Walker about the danger posed by Moscow. On Tuesday, McCallum said MI5 was devoting more resources to combating threats from hostile states than during the cold war and described Russia as the "number one aggressor." Walker spoke to 700 troops at Catterick garrison on Friday.

Ricketts also dismissed a comment by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who said at prime minister's questions he wanted to be a "bridge" between Washington and Kyiv. "I don't really go on this bridge business. I mean, I don't think in Trump's current mood there's any influence that Britain can have in the short term," Ricketts said. The warnings come as US President Donald Trump waived a number of economic sanctions on Russia and suggested Ukraine needed a new leader, worsening relations between Washington and Kyiv.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Russian hybrid attacks on UK critical infrastructure could cause loss of life and undermine public morale.
  • Senior security figures are pressing the government to engage the public on the scale of the threat.
  • The warnings come as US support for Ukraine wavers, placing greater burden on European allies.

Background

Peter Ricketts is a former national security adviser to David Cameron and the top civil servant at the Foreign Office. His intervention follows a concerted week of warnings from UK intelligence and military leaders. MI5's director general said the service is now more heavily focused on hostile state threats than during the cold war, and the army chief addressed troops directly about the Russian danger. The security establishment is increasingly vocal about what it sees as an urgent and escalating challenge from Moscow, particularly through cyber and hybrid means.

Key Perspectives

Former national security adviser (Peter Ricketts): The government must start an honest conversation with the public about the threat. He called for more investment in resilience and dismissed claims that Britain could currently act as a bridge between the US and Ukraine. MI5 and army chiefs: Russia is the number one aggressor; resources are being redirected to counter hostile states at an unprecedented level. Government and public (implied): Ministers have not yet fully explained the nature of the threat or the required investment, according to Ricketts. Mayor Andy Burnham: Had suggested he could serve as a bridge between Washington and Kyiv, a position Ricketts rejected.

What to Watch

  • Whether ministers launch a public campaign or formal statement on the Russian hybrid threat.
  • Further developments in US-Ukraine relations, including possible additional sanctions waivers by Trump.
  • Any specific hybrid attack incidents that could trigger a change in UK government posture or public debate.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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