The head of Britain’s domestic intelligence service, MI5, Sir Ken McCallum, has said that Russia remains the leading threat from foreign states, warning that Moscow is waging hybrid warfare against European countries.
In his annual speech in London, McCallum said threats from foreign adversaries had quadrupled over the past decade, with MI5 now devoting more resources to countering state threats than it did during the Cold War.
“Russia is the number one aggressor,” he said, stressing that Moscow is seeking to destabilise European countries rather than engage in a direct military confrontation with NATO.
According to the MI5 chief, Russia’s progress in its invasion of Ukraine remains “minimal and at a horrendous cost,” while the Kremlin is using other methods to exert pressure on its adversaries, the BBC reports.
Hybrid warfare includes cyberattacks, sabotage and disinformation campaigns designed to weaken institutions and destabilise states without resorting directly to military force.
McCallum said the expulsion of nearly 1,000 people linked to Russian covert operations since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine had weakened Moscow’s network, forcing it to rely increasingly on individuals recruited through financial payments to carry out attacks.
“With its traditional covert operations network shattered by the expulsion of nearly 1,000 people since the invasion, the Kremlin has a diminished global arsenal,” he said.
“Consequently, we see them desperately trying to pay criminals to do their bidding,” the MI5 chief added, stressing that these were not the actions of a power enjoying strategic superiority.
His warnings come amid growing concern among several European leaders that Russia may be preparing attacks designed to test Western countries’ resolve in supporting Ukraine.
McCallum also discussed Russia’s attempts to influence political debate in the United Kingdom, including the 2016 Brexit referendum. He said Russian media outlets and networks of online trolls and bots had attempted to influence the debate, while distinguishing between efforts to interfere and actually achieving a particular outcome.
The MI5 chief also warned about the expansion of Iran-linked activities in the United Kingdom. According to him, 50 people were arrested over the past year in connection with activities linked to Tehran, with targets including Jewish communities and military installations.
Another concern is the use of artificial intelligence by extremist groups. McCallum said MI5 had identified terrorists seeking to exploit the technology to improve surveillance and attack methods, including the use of drones.
He warned that artificial intelligence could make it easier to produce propaganda and radicalising material, while potentially increasing the risk of biological weapons being used in the future.
McCallum concluded by saying that the terrorist threat in the United Kingdom remains high, with risks posed by Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State, as well as far-right extremists.
