UK warned to strengthen defences against Russian hybrid attacks on critical infrastructure

The UK government should do more to protect key infrastructure from Russian hybrid attacks, a former national security adviser has said. Lord Ricketts said energy, transport and air traffic control systems need stronger resilience as he warned that the threat is becoming more reckless and more dangerous. He said the risk is not limited to cyber activity and could include sabotage and disinformation.

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His comments come amid renewed concern in Britain and across Europe about foreign-state threats. Lord Ricketts said ministers should spend more on defence and be clearer with the public about the risks. He told the BBC that hybrid attacks could lead to people being killed, adding that the danger is no longer theoretical.

He also said the government had to warn British people about what might be coming. His remarks followed a warning earlier this week from the head of MI5 that threats from foreign states, including Russia and Iran, had quadrupled over the past decade. The former adviser said Russia was trying to undermine morale in European countries as well as in Ukraine.

He said there had been a stark warning from the head of MI5 that there could be worse to come in the UK or on other NATO territory. Hybrid attacks typically use non-military methods, including hacking, to destabilise a country. Moscow is suspected of being behind many such incidents in Europe since the start of the war in Ukraine, although it denies involvement.

The warning matters because critical infrastructure is central to public safety, economic activity and national security. Energy networks, transport systems and air traffic control are all areas where disruption could have immediate consequences beyond the original target. The comments also reflect wider European anxiety that Russia may be seeking to test the resolve of countries supporting Ukraine.

That concern has grown as governments assess how to defend against attacks that may fall below the threshold of open warfare but still cause serious harm. Lord Ricketts also linked the issue to broader Western policy on Ukraine and Russia. He said the UK's focus should be on strengthening the coalition of the willing rather than trying to act as a bridge between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.

He said he did not think Britain could have much influence in the short term in Trump's current mood. The remarks place the infrastructure warning within a wider debate over how allies should respond to Moscow's pressure campaign. What remains unclear is which specific UK systems are most exposed and whether ministers will announce new protective measures in response.

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