The United Kingdom could already be engaged in a form of war with Russia, according to Eliza Manningham-Buller, former head of MI5. Her comments come in response to the scale and intensity of cyberattacks, sabotage, and other hostile activities orchestrated by Moscow against the UK, The Guardian reports.
Manningham-Buller, who led the UK’s domestic intelligence service for two decades, agrees with Russia expert Fiona Hill, who earlier this year argued that Moscow is effectively at war with the West. Manningham-Buller emphasized that the situation has escalated since the invasion of Ukraine, citing sabotage, intelligence-gathering, and attacks targeting civilians.
Speaking on a podcast hosted by John McFall, Chair of the House of Lords, she stated:
“It’s a different kind of war, but the hostility, cyberattacks, physical threats, and intelligence operations are unmistakable.”
Recent cases underline the seriousness of these threats: six Bulgarian nationals living in the UK were imprisoned for participating in a spy network conducting hostile surveillance across Europe, while five men were sentenced for arson targeting a warehouse supplying Ukraine, allegedly on Moscow’s orders.
Former Cabinet Minister Pat McFadden noted last year that Russia has intensified cyberattacks against UK businesses, with most traced back to Russian actors. NATO allies in Eastern Europe, including Poland, have also experienced drone incidents, with 19 unarmed drones detected in Poland this month alone.
During Manningham-Buller’s early tenure at MI5 (2002–2007), there were hopes that Vladimir Putin’s Russia would abandon Soviet-style methods and emerge as a potential Western partner—hopes that, in light of current events, have been largely dashed.
